Fake Dates and Ritual Jealousy
by LysCat
Summary: This is a challenge that was given to me a really long time ago by ElectricSymphany, that I never got around to finishing. It's set during season 3, right around the time of Esther's plot shenanigans and begins the night that Rebekah attacked Elena. As with all of my other TVD stories, this will be centered around Elena and Elijah.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fake Dates and Ritual Jealousy  
Author: Alysia  
Category: Post Episode/Alternate Universe  
Couple(s): Elejah for sure.  
Summary: (AU-Circa S3/Esther Plot Shenanigans but Elejah are together) For some reason, Elijah has to 'date' a young, attractive witch in order to get information about what she knows since they all believe she might be eventually called upon by Esther to act against the siblings. Elena can't help herself and ends up spying on them from across the restaurant in an irrational debate between logic and jealousy. As a cover-and because he can't resist a good show and torturing his brother-Kol goes with her and poses as her 'date'. What happens when shit hits the fan and Elijah ends up realizing they're following him? And how does he react to a jealous Elena, and moreover, how does he react to Kol laying on the 'act' thick as Elena's 'boyfriend' just to piss off his elder brother?  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD. Also, Jamie helped me with the title so I can't claim that it's totally mine.  
Author's Note: So this is the brain child of Jamie (ElectricSymphany). She posted it an eon ago on a fan forum that we posted on. I've had it sitting on my computer (obviously incomplete) for months. As soon as I finished posting the epilogue to Flirting 101, I went back to this and have been writing it again. It won't be very long, and it will definitely have less chapters that Flirting 101, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. The summary above is as she posted it originally, though I have made a few changes. Elena and Elijah are not together…yet. **Also, this is for Jamie, Eva and all of the other women (and sometimes guys) that made posting so much fun on that site.**

* * *

Prologue

"_So when Damon got that call earlier, it was you…" Elena said, reading into the words that were left unsaid._

_Elijah Mikaelson nodded. "It would appear to be so." _

_Clearing her throat, the doppelganger focused her complete attention on him. "You've been awake for a matter of hours and the first thing you do is make arrangements with Damon to…" She trailed off, unsure about putting her thoughts into words. Damon had made no secret of his intentions were Klaus was concerned. However, she was slightly annoyed with the way he went about it. _

"_Take care of my brother?" He finished, his lips quirking up in amusement. Their topic was anything but amusing, but the way that Elena phrased her words so carefully caught his attention. His eyes scanned the length of her body, not missing a thing. She looked similar to how she was before he'd been daggered, but there was an unmistakable void as well. Her innocence was long gone, and he hated that he'd played a role in that. _

_She replied with an apologetic smile. "Yeah."_

_His smile died as quickly as his amusement. "Elena, about that night…"_

_She shook her head, holding her hand up in effort to silence him. There was no question as to what night he was referring to. "It's not necessary, Elijah," she denied. _

"_It is," he argued passionately. _

"_It's been months," she protested weakly. It wasn't that she was over the events that had taken place, but it hurt to think about. She hated the way that Jenna's life was ripped away. And she felt such guilt over the fact that her biological father gave up his life so she could live. She hadn't even come to terms with the revelation that Uncle John was her father before he gave his life…and she didn't like thinking about all of that when she didn't have to._

"_Perhaps," he allowed. "But for me, it's been a matter of hours," Elijah added, hoping to offer her a different prospective. "You have had time to deal with everything that happened, but I have not had that luxury." He wanted to say this, he needed to. And he needed her to listen and accept his apology. "My actions that night…I've always lived by a code of honor." When he gave his word, he kept it. "However, I turned my back on you when you needed me most." He didn't bother to include her friends in his sentiment, because as far as he was concerned, they deserved no such mention. "You were depending on me to do what I promised."_

_She nodded. "I was," she admitted in a small voice. She'd betrayed him the night that she'd lured him to the lake house, but she thought that they'd moved past that. And then his offer to give her the potion he'd had made for Katherine when he still held the woman in high regard had only solidified that. When she learned the events that had taken place the night of the sacrifice though, she felt as if she'd been stabbed in the back. Ironically, she'd done the same to his sister…_

"_And I betrayed that," he sighed. "I offered you my assistance, and at the first chance, I betrayed you." His first order of business after being awakened was to learn everything that had taken place since then. "If your biological father hadn't offered up his own life for the sake of yours, your death would have been in vain." His actions had been deplorable. _

"_It wasn't your fault," she denied, meaning it. She may have felt betrayed by him, but in reality, he'd owed her nothing. When he opened his mouth to argue, she shook her head. "From the moment we entered our arrangement, you never hid your desire to be reunited with your family." The day that followed the sacrifice had been an emotional one. "I can honestly say that I wasn't surprised by your decision…and I don't hold it against you." If Jeremy had been taken from her and she spent so many years tracking him down only to have the possibility of getting him back dangled in her face, she'd have taken it. She would have grabbed onto the chance and never looked back. _

_He shook his head, staring at her with an air of wonderment. "How? How can you say such a thing? Because of my brother…me…your aunt and biological father are dead."_

"_And I will mourn them," she broke in. "The truth is, I will always miss Jenna…and John. I hate that their lives ended too soon, but it wasn't your fault. If the fault lies with anyone, it should be with Klaus. If it wasn't for him, Jenna never would have been there that night. And if I wasn't what I am, John never would have forfeited his life. I don't blame you on that front." Her very existence had been a threat to her loved ones. Jenna's life had been touched by the supernatural simply because of her niece's very existence. _

"_But I didn't take care of my brother the way I said I would."_

_Twisting her body towards him, she placed her hand over his in bold move. "That is unfortunate." She could lie, but what would be the point? "I can't imagine what it must be like to resign yourself to killing your sibling. I don't think I will ever be able to see your brother as anything other than a monster, but he is your brother…" If their situations were reversed and she found herself in his shoes, she couldn't imagine having to do such a thing to her brother, no matter how many years passed and how distant they grew. _

_During her impassioned words, his gaze fell to their hands. "It doesn't change anything." He took a chance, and entwined their fingers. _

_Following his gaze, she offered him silent support by squeezing his hand. "No. But it makes you human." She let out a sad chuckle. "You are more vampire than anyone else I've ever met, but you're more human as well. Klaus offered you the one thing that you dedicated your life to. It doesn't make you weak, it makes you more relatable." At least it did to her._

Shaking off the thought when she heard her doorbell ring, she made her way to the door. "I didn't expect to see you tonight," Elena greeted when she opened it. "Er, again," she corrected. With the broom in one hand, she pushed back the wisps of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. As soon as she'd returned home earlier that evening, she threw herself into cleaning the kitchen.

"Am I intruding?" He inquired politely.

"No, please come in," she offered, opening the door wider. When he stepped past her, she closed the door and leaned against it. "What can I do for you?"

"How are you doing?" His voice was gentle, but a serious frown bit at his lips. Moving his gaze down to her neck, he watched her caress it. Her skin was already beginning to darken into a nasty bruise.

"I'm fine," she denied weakly.

"Are you sure?" His brows furrowed together, not understanding her reaction. He'd expected her to be upset, shaken by Rebekah's attempt against her. "My sister-"

"Had every right to do that after what I did to her," she interrupted. From the moment Damon had informed her that the rest of Elijah's siblings were awake, she'd known that there was huge chance that Rebekah would make a move against her. She'd been anticipating it.

The frown on his face deepened and his eyes shot back up to meet hers. "That's a rather blasé attitude for almost being killed." Had Elena really changed so much in the time that he'd been daggered?

"It isn't the first time someone attempted to kill me." Hell, Klaus had already done that. "And I don't mean to come off as careless, but it's true. She was retaliating against me. I was the one that pretended to befriend her before stabbing her in the back…literally." The tone of her voice took on an air of regret.

Yes, and Rebekah had already berated him for it when he returned home earlier. At the time, she was spitting vinegar, and while Elijah listened without complaint; he was also wondering if Rebekah's version was actually how everything went down. His sister could be brutally honest, but she also had a way of twisting things around as well. And considering the fact that his sister already had an aversion to the Petrova bloodline, she was eager to believe the worst in Elena. Yet as he looked at the young woman across from him, he was able to read the regret in her eyes and body language.

"Thank you for helping me tonight when you didn't have to." Similar to how he had first introduced himself, he'd saved her life…yet again.

"Of course," he excused. "I'd hardly let her harm, maim or kill you." When his sister told him how she'd managed to find herself daggered, he knew she would make an attempt on Elena, it was just a matter of when. And when she left the mansion, he'd made sure to follow her.

She lifted her mouth in a half smile. "Why did you do that?" When he didn't immediately respond, she spoke again. "Not that I'm complaining, because I'd much rather be alive than not, but why did you save me?"

It was an inquiry that he'd heard, not only from Rebekah, but his brothers as well. Tilting his head, he offered her a small grin. "Because you're you."

She was sure that he wasn't finished responding, but her stomach clenched as she heard his words. It was moments like that, that made her question the things that she allowed herself to believe.

"My family has done enough against you, Elena." He was still dealing with his guilt from the night of the sacrifice. But it was more than that as well. For whatever strange reason, he didn't want to see her hurt because of his family. "However, I have to say, if you continue to stake my siblings and/or me, I will be unable to help you." He never thought that he'd be able to say such a thing without a hint of anger in his voice, but he found his guard lowered where Elena was concerned.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied quietly.

He looked around, taking notice of the fact that there was no other noise in the house. "Are you alone?" Perhaps that wasn't the wisest of choices on her part. What is his sister made another attempt?

She shrugged. "The hospital wanted to keep Rick for the night." Elena trailed off.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest of decision after discovering Rick in the state that she and Matt had; but upon realizing how close she'd come to losing him, she'd wanted to be alone. After her confrontation with Rebekah, she'd wanted to call someone, but when she'd reached for the phone, her mind went blank. She knew that both Bonnie and Caroline would have come over if she called them, but they were both dealing with their own issues. Things were already strained enough between herself and the Salvatore brothers, she refused to call them. And Matt, she knew he would have dropped everything for her, she didn't want him any more involved in the supernatural than he already was.

"Would you mind some company?" He offered after a moment. The truth was, he wasn't comfortable with the idea of leaving her alone.

"You don't have to stay, Elijah," she denied, not answering his question. She didn't want to put him out. Besides, didn't he have better things to do than play 'baby-sitter' to her? He was reunited with his siblings for the first time in hundreds of years. Why wasn't he with them?

"No, I think I do," he answered, looking around. The faint scent of blood was tainted by the stronger one of bleach, but it was easily detectable to his sensitive sense of smell. "What made you think you'd be safe by yourself?" He walked towards the direction of the diluted blood, stopping when he noticed the shape the kitchen was in. "What the hell happened here tonight?"

Slowly trailing behind him, she took a deep breath. She'd been expecting his reaction as soon as she let him into the house. "It's a long story…"

Discarding his jacket, he put it over the back of a chair at the kitchen table before moving back towards her. He took the broom from her grasp and moved to a corner of the kitchen that hadn't yet been touched. "And we have plenty of time," he observed as he started to sweep up the mess.

She watched him for a moment before making her way to the counter top to clean. "So, it's like this…"


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie: I'm just happy I was able to get it out for you. It's only taken a year (probably longer). I don't know if I'll even address the evil Alaric thing. We'll see how long this turns out to be. Yes, I wish that we would have seen that conversation and I really wanted to address it. The same thing for Rebekah too. I didn't think that Elena was a vindictive person and I think it would have gone a long way if the writers would have had her explain her reasoning for it.

Bulldozed: I guess it's because I write what I want to read, and there isn't nearly enough Elejah out there. Thank you for the compliment, I try.

Aurora: Yes, you better review. I look forward to reading what you have to say. As nice as an idea as it would be, it will be at the party.

Eva: I just hope I don't disappoint you guys with it. Because I always envision something and it seems that more often than not, I fall short when writing it. And I sort of feel bad that so much was tucked in to those few pages, but I didn't want to give away too much.

Bellislefan: I certainly hope that I'll be able to entertain you guys.

Aria: Thank you! I'm hoping that I don't disappoint

Guest: Thank you for taking the time to read.

Eletvd: Thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Diehardromantic: I was wondering where you had gone. I'm glad you're back and that you like it!

Author's Note: Okay, so new laptop, new writing program and yay, I was able to transfer over my stories. So now I need to get some more writing done.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

* * *

Chapter 1

Approaching Elijah from behind, Kol Mikaelson waited for his brother to address him in one form or another. However, when no greeting came, he followed the direction of his brother's gaze. Elena Gilbert stood across the room, laughing at something an older woman was telling her. He watched the doppelganger's gaze settle on his brother momentarily before turning her full attention back to her companion.

Clearing his throat, he smirked when his brother stiffened. It was only a slight movement, but he hadn't missed it.

Unable to believe that he'd been caught so unaware, Elijah snaked a champagne flute from a passing waiter before turning around to address his youngest brother, but before he could say a word, Kol spoke.

"You know, if you don't want other people to know about your interest in the doppelganger, then you might want to stop undressing her with your eyes," he suggest in a cocky, but quiet voice. Something told him that the revelation wouldn't go over well with his sister and Klaus, and the last thing they needed that night was for it to be made known at such an event.

Choking on the swallow of champagne he'd just taken, Elijah coughed down the remaining mouthful. "I don't know what you're talking about," he denied when he was back under control.

Kol couldn't deny the action of rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Oh, yeah. Sure," he agreed in a sarcastic voice. "The eye-sex alone is going to give you away."

Pursing his lips at his younger brother's words, he inwardly sighed. Kol had never been known for having tact. "Eye-sex?" He repeated, tasting the foreign words on his tongue. "Seriously, Kol, I don't know where you get this stuff." He knew he should have monitored his brother when it came to his exploration of the internet!

Narrowing his eyes on his eldest brother, Kol tilted his head in Elena's direction with a subtle nod. "So, nothing's going on?"

"Of course not," he quickly and easily denied. "She's merely a friend." Yet, even as he finished his denial, his eyes fell on subject of their conversation. He hadn't seen her since the night Rebekah made an attempt against her, and it was far too long. He'd known that being from one of the founding families, that Elena would be invited. And he'd looked forward to seeing her again.

It was subtle, but he didn't miss the way his brother's eyes darkened as they settled on Elena. "So you wouldn't mind if I asked her to dance then? She is a beautiful woman and such a vision tonight…and I've been so looking forward to spending some time getting to know her," Kol spoke in a suggestive tone of voice while leering at her. Looking back to his brother, he offered him an innocent smile.

Elijah bristled.

He watched with satisfaction as his normally composed brother offered him a severe frown.

"You will do no such thing," Elijah growled.

Nodding his head once, Kol scoffed. "Uh-huh… Friend, right. Like the kind that have sex with each other."

Elijah's eyes once again fell on Elena. Only instead of her previous companion, Damon Salvatore was back at her side. It took everything in his power not to frown. "We haven't-" He hadn't declared his feelings for her, he hadn't even taken the time to consider them himself.

"But you want to," Kol interrupted. "It's cool, I get it." He would pass no judgment against him. "And you've always had a thing for those Petrovas…" He trailed off, unable to forget about Elijah's infatuation with both Tatia and Katerina.

"It isn't like that," Elijah denied vehemently. "I can't deny my past feelings, but Elena…she's special." She may have looked like those that came before her, but that was where the similarities ended.

"Maybe so, but it looks to me like the apple hasn't fallen far from the Petrova tree," he gestured once again towards Elena who was surrounded by not only Damon, but his younger brother. "I wonder if being stuck between two brothers is a doppelganger quirk?"

"Shouldn't you be introducing yourself to our guests instead of giving me a difficult time?" Elijah asked in a pointed manner, ignoring his brother's inquiry.

"But I'm having much more fun watching you moon over a girl."

"I'm not mooning," Elijah denied. "I'm an Original, the first vampire in existence, I don't moon." He was far above such a thing, wasn't he? Tearing his eyes from Elena, he finished off his champagne. "It's time to mingle." Clasping Kol's shoulder, he directed him towards the nearest group of people.

Minutes later, he'd finished his rounds; making sure that the last person he spoke to was Elena. He hadn't yet had a chance to greet her for the evening. As the eldest, a majority of the hosting duties fell to him. Between that, and the fact that neither Damon nor Stefan ventured no more than six feet away from her, he hadn't had an opportunity to approach her.

"You look enchanting this evening, Elena," Elijah told her, coming to a stop in front of her. He pointedly ignored her self-imposed guard dogs. Gently reaching for her hand, he brought it to his mouth and placed a kiss on the top of it.

She knew she was blushing, she could feel the rush of blood in her cheeks. She wasn't sure if it was because of his actions or because of the intensity behind his gaze, but there was no denying it. "Th-thank you," she stuttered. "You look nice as well." If she wasn't in the company of others, she would have closed her eyes in embarrassment. Nice? He looked nice?! He looked better than nice! He looked nice on any given day, but that evening, he was…

"May I be so bold as to claim your next dance?" He cut a quick look at both of her companions. "If you aren't already engaged, that is," he clarified, but his attention was back on her.

"I am not engaged," she smiled.

"Sure you are," Damon interrupted, not liking the looks that passed between the two. "You've already promised me another dance," he added in a firm tone of voice. "Maybe another time, Elijah. Bye-bye now," he smiled at the Original, dismissing him completely.

Damon had never hidden his dislike of the Original family, and Elijah completely understood why his half-brother was so frustrated with Elena's friends. However, he wasn't one to be so easily dismissed, and if they hadn't been surrounded by a room full of unsuspecting humans, he would have gone to great lengths to remind Damon of his place.

The flush in her cheeks turned from one of enjoyment to one of embarrassment. "I did not," she frowned at Damon. When he returned her look with a pointed one of his own, she knew that the moment they left, she'd be receiving an earful from him. "I would love to dance with you, Elijah."

Hearing the current song coming to an end, he offered her a smile. "Good, because I believe they are playing our song," he observed when the chords of a new song started. He led her to the dance floor without so much as look at Damon or Stefan.

"We have a song?" Elena asked, a small smile playing around her mouth.

"We do now," he excused, moving into position.

* * *

"You really are enchanting, Elena."

Unable to look in his eyes, she stared over his shoulder. "You already said that," she told him in a whisper. Elijah had always managed to make her feel uncomfortable, though the reasoning for such an emotion had changed through the months of their acquaintance. Instead of feeling as if she was an insect to be dissected, he studied her. She was very aware of his intense stares and the butterflies that were induced because of them.

"And I meant it then, just as much as I do now," he explained easily. When she met his gaze for the first time since he swept her among the sea of dancers, he was able to discern her confusion. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Nibbling on her bottom lip, she paused in her response. Would he be offended with her observation? "You're so…I don't think I've ever seen you so jovial before," she explained with an open expression. For one quick moment, she saw uncertainty flash in his eyes. "I like it," she confessed a breath later, a smile tilting her lips.

Not missing a step in their dance, his grip on her tightened and he pulled her closer against his form. "What's not to be jovial about? I'm dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room."

Feeling her heart stutter upon his movement, she was left breathless. Once again, she was reminded of the fact that she far more aware of him than she'd ever been before. "I bet you say that to all of your dance partners," she excused with a forced laugh, though she was anything but jovial about the subject. While he hadn't approached her sooner, her eyes constantly searched him out among the crowd of guests since entering the Mikaelson mansion.

"Maybe so," he admitted in a soft voice. "But it's the first time I've meant it tonight," Elijah quickly clarified. His eyes searched hers, hoping to convey his complete honesty.

"I'm glad that you asked me to dance," she breathed.

"Oh?" He arched a single eyebrow. He couldn't imagine her being so forward about such a thing, not that he minded.

"There's something I should tell you," she sighed, wearing a guilty expression on her face.

"Yes…"

"I'm here to meet your mother," she confessed after a pregnant pause, knowing that she was about to dull their moment.

Had he heard that correctly? "I beg your pardon?" His mother made mention of wanting to meet her, but he never thought that Elena would be interested in such a meeting, after all, his mother had tried to kill the girl from the other side. What could Elena possibly need to speak to her about?

"My invitation contained a note from her. She asked to speak to me alone. I came here tonight to do that."

"And you feel as if I should know this, why?"

She shook her head in disappointment. "I'm beginning to regret my hasty decision to meet with her," she admitted. She opened her mouth to explain the reasoning behind such a decision. "Elijah, your brother has wreaked havoc on my life since I first learned of him. I was so sure that meeting with your mother was the answer; that if anyone knew how to take care of him, it would be her."

"But…?" He hedged, sensing there was more that she wanted to say. More than that, he needed there to be more. He knew from the very first day that Elena was different from her predecessors. Her confession surprised him, and for a brief moment, he doubted his judgment.

"Something doesn't feel right," Elena finished in a whisper. As soon as her words were uttered, they stopped dancing. Elijah escorted her off of the dance floor into a nearby, vacant room.

He didn't dare latch the door shut for fear of what gossipmongers would say about him being alone with someone of the opposite sex that was much younger than him. However, he did make sure to check to see that all of his siblings and Elena's companions were otherwise occupied before turning back to her. "I have been experiencing a similar doubt since my mother's arrival," he confessed. "She has spoken of forgiveness and being reunited as a family."

"But you don't believe her," she surmised. Her heart ached for him. While she and Elijah had never been close by any means, she felt as if he revealed more to her than he had anyone else. She knew what his family meant to him, how long he had searched for them. It was unfair that even though they had been reunited that a dark cloud still hung over their heads.

He shook his head. "I would like to, but something tells me that would be incredibly naïve of me. My family isn't exactly known for forgiveness," his lips twisted in wry smirk. "I cannot help but feel as if she's planning something." Tilting his head, his eyes traced the length of her body. "She mentioned that she was interested in meeting you, but I had no idea she made contact. Now, more than ever, I am sure that she is up to something."

She took a moment to consider her actions. Elijah wasn't one to divulge so much information, and she wasn't sure how to proceed. Was he sharing that because his mother was possibly hoping to involve her? Did he expect her to say something in response? Should she attempt to say anything? Was it even her place to do such a thing? "I'm sorry, Elijah," she offered lamely as she stepped closer to him. She wanted to reach out and hug him, he looked as if he could use one; but that was hardly her place.

He smiled sadly. The words were so small in the grand scheme of things, but they were beautiful. He didn't need bogus apologies, nor did he want them. Out of habit, he took a closer look at her, to see if he could detect any sort of forged emotions, but he found none…and he should have known better. He learned early on that with Elena, what one saw, was what they got. She wasn't perfect, but she more often than not sincere in her actions.

"Elena, I…will you please share with me what you discuss with my mother? If she's planning something, I need to know. I need to come up with a countermeasure."

She felt herself hesitating. She hadn't even been enticed by the idea of attending the ball, given how things worked out the last time Klaus had hosted an event. The only deciding factor fell on Esther's personal note. That intrigued her. However, it was her friends that pushed her into going, convincing her that it would be the only way to truly get rid of Klaus.

But at what expense?

Something taunted her that while Klaus may have been taken care of through his mother's actions, whatever they may be; so would his siblings. And Elena didn't want a part of that. She didn't even know Elijah's two other brothers, and while there was no love lost between herself and Rebekah, she certainly didn't want to see the girl dead. And Elijah…just the thought of something possibly happening to him caused a bad feeling to creep up over her.

No, she couldn't be a part of such a thing. It wouldn't be right.

* * *

Just as his mother had asked of him, he'd escorted Elena upstairs to Esther's room. It had taken years upon years, but he'd finally mastered his control over his emotions, whether that included what he felt or making sure that others could never gauge his reactions. However, he was sure that his mother noticed his unease the moment she opened the door to allow Elena inside.

It had taken everything he possessed to walk away from the closed bedroom door and return to the sham of a party. When he returned to the first floor of the mansion, he was keenly aware of the disappearance of one overprotective Salvatore brother. However, he pushed the thought away and as he continued to mingle with the guests, his attention constantly flashed to the second story landing, watching for any sign of Elena.

And minutes later when she made her way down the large and ornate staircase, he barely had enough control over his actions to keep his movement at a human level. He greeted her at the bottom of the stairs, offering his arm to her. "And what did my mother wish to speak to you about?" He kept his gaze trained on her, but he was keenly aware of the fact that his mother followed Elena down the stairs. And while she kept a short distance from them, Elijah could feel her eyes upon them.

"She wanted to apologize for trying to kill me," Elena supplied after a moment. When he gently led her through the crowd and away from the general direction of his mother, she'd never been so grateful.

Moments after their escape from the staircase, Esther began her announcement. He waited for all the party guests to turn their attention on her before prodding her. Keeping his gaze on those around them, he tilted his head so his mouth was next to her ear. "What did she really have to say?"

If the situation wasn't so important, she would have taken some time to enjoy the feel of his breath against her ear. With a barely discernable shake of her head, she quickly glanced at him. "Don't drink the champagne," she warned in a soft voice. Her eyes fell to Esther, who continued to look in her direction. Did the witch know what they were speaking of?

As Esther continued on with her speech, Elijah noticed the waiters and waitresses that moved through the guests with trays that held champagne flutes. While his mother was an excellent actress, she was a keen observer, and if he refused to take a glass then she would be made aware of Elena's confession to him.

"What did you do, Elena?" He asked, with a polite smile on his face. To those that stood close to him, they would see nothing more than a friendly veneer on his face, but his eyes spoke differently. "Why am I not supposed to ingest this?" He asked, grabbing two flutes from a passing waiter.

She shook her head at him. She wanted to confess the entire truth to him, but there were too many people around. Already, Elena felt uncomfortable around Finn Mikaelson, and if Esther wasn't watching her, then he was.

"What of my siblings?" He demanded, keeping a cool exterior. "You warn me, but not within a timely manner for me to stop them?"

His questions were beginning to sound more like accusations than anything. His voice was anything but friendly, and the glare in his eyes made his outward appearance look more feral than anything. "She'll suspect that I've told you," she denied.

"Tell me what? You haven't confided a thing," he shot back, his worry for his siblings and his annoyance over Elena's warning pulled too tightly at his nerves.

How dare he?! He was the one that asked for her help. He was the one that admitted his fears and doubts. He was the one that pulled her into the situation, and after all of that, he was refusing to put his faith in warning. "You're right, I haven't confessed a thing. And yet, I've told you how to avert your mother's plan. However, instead of listening to it, you're questioning me," she hissed. "If you don't want to listen to my warning, then please, drink it. Whatever you decide, I've had enough." She was vaguely aware of the fact that Esther was still talking, but she quickly tossed back the tainted alcohol before stalking away from the Original. She was tired of people using her. Esther used her for her blood, manipulating her fears and desires. Elijah wanted her to clue him in on their conversation. And Damon and Stefan were willing to use her if it meant getting rid of Klaus for good.

Leaving out the front door, she moved to the valet service that had been acquired for the evening. She didn't care that Stefan or Damon arrived with her. They'd be able to find their own ways home, even if it involved compelling someone. She didn't agree with the measures, but she knew that Damon would have rather done that than walk back to the boarding house.

Handing her ticket to the valet, she forced a smile at him as he left to retrieve her car. Crossing her arms, she clutched at her upper arms, hoping to keep herself warm. In the last couple hours, the weather dropped, almost becoming biting. From behind her, a suit jacket was placed over her shoulders. And as soon as the scent that stained it wafted to her nose, she knew it belonged to Elijah.

"Elena…"

She stiffened momentarily before turning to face him. "What do you want, Elijah?" She was still feeling annoyed with him for his previous actions, and she was done being nice. She wanted nothing more than to go home, take a nice long bath, and forget the entire night.

"Please, allow me to apologize for my words and treatment of you," he smoothly supplied. "I should not have taken my frustration out on you," his words were sincere. "I've been through hell to get my siblings back, and the thought that they are threatened by…of all people, my mother..."

She grudgingly admitted that he had a point. After all, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for Jeremy. "Your siblings will be fine," she told him in a breathless whisper. "Your mother's plan included all of her children, I don't think it will work since you didn't drink the champagne." Her eyes widened as she thought back on her last words to him before leaving the house. "You didn't drink the champagne, did you?"

His lips quirked upon hearing the tone of her voice. "No, I didn't drink the champagne. I was upset Elena, not deaf. Despite our current ties to our families, I don't believe you'd lead me to my doom. However, as innocent as your intentions may be, can you guarantee that even if you stopped me from drinking whatever it was, that my siblings will be safe as well?"

Elena hesitated. She hadn't considered his point, but she didn't know Esther either. Upon meeting her, Esther appeared to be a force to be reckoned with. And instead of acting in a flurry of decisions, she would be someone to bide her time and wait for the more opportune time. She wouldn't risk that the binding wouldn't work for the sake of having a vengeful Original after her.

"I've made contact with a former…partner…"

"Partner?" Elena repeated. What sort of partner did he speak of? He was an Original, did they even have partners?

"A witch. I've worked with her in the past, she does excellent work."

"Oh…okay then. And you trust her enough?" She couldn't help the question as it flowed out of her mouth. "It's just…aren't witches and vampires generally against one another?" She knew that Bonnie was certainly against Damon, then again, Damon was…Damon.

"I trust her well enough. We were lovers once upon a time," he shared easily. "And though we are no longer entwined, emotions still exist."

She pursed her lips together, not at all happy to think about Elijah reconnecting with a former lover, even if it was for a noble cause. Her mouth immediately turned into a frown. What was wrong with her? Why did she care?

"You do not approve?" Elijah asked, easily able to read the expression on her face.

Immediately neutralizing her facial features, she shook her head. "I didn't say that."

"The expression on your face did," he denied.

"You're Elijah Mikaelson. You are the oldest Original," she returned. "I just can't believe that you are unable to find another solution…one that doesn't require you to lay such trust in a witch." She hoped that the tone of her voice was neutral.

"Oh, I have," he replied flippantly. "However, that requires the involvement of your Salvatore brothers and the only way they would willingly help us would be to save your life."

She wanted to argue with him, but she knew that she couldn't. Damon would rather die than help Elijah or any of the Originals. Stefan, felt the exact same way. And the only way they would is if they were forced to. And as much as she wanted to help Elijah, death was not exactly the way she would choose to do so.

"I like you, Elena," he confessed simply, keeping his voice light. If only she knew just how well he liked her. "I find you…rather refreshing, and I would hate for something to happen to you."

"Your car, Miss…" The valet said, coming to a stop before them.

Elijah walked her to her vehicle, keeping a hand at the small of her back during the short journey. "Thank you again for your assistance tonight, Elena," he said. He fished around in his pocket for money to tip the valet.

"You didn't have to do that," she denied, feeling awkward for the fact that he'd paid the tip.

"I know," he dismissed. "I hope to see you soon." Reaching for her hand, he kissed the back of it before removing his jacket from her. "Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, Elijah," she repeated.

* * *

AN: What did you guys think?


	3. Chapter 3

Jamie: Well, here's the dinner scene and I really hope I don't disappoint. Funny enough, the last chapter was the easiest thing for me. I've had it written since the night you posted the challenge. And just to clarify, they didn't fix my laptop, they were able to transfer everything over to the new one. It was funny when my husband put the old one in my son's room and he thanked me. I told him that he was welcome, and then watched the realization hit him when it didn't work.

Eva: The title is partially Jamie's. I was thinking something like 'Rituals, Fake Dates and Jealousy.' The new one works much better though. If you liked Kol in the last chapter, then I'm hoping you'll love him in this one. I'm glad you liked the part about Elijah taking his frustration out on Elena, I wasn't sure if I should have posted that part, but I decided to take a chance.

Bellislefan: I haven't even considered Stefan and Damon yet. I did briefly think about Rebekah, but nothing concrete yet.

Elijah4ever: Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

Diehardromantic: I know all about life getting in the way, it sucks sometimes. I do like writing Kol as the fun one. It seems to fit him.

Aria: Thank you! Elijah's jealousy won't really show until chapter 3, when I do a flash back. But there will a little bit towards the end of this one.

Sharbour: Thank you, your words humble me.

Bulldozed: Someone once told me that was the episode that delivered the final nail in the Elejah coffin. And though I argued, I have to grudgingly admit that she had a point. Anything to fix that. I thought of your point about Elijah. And I considered having him wait, but then I thought it would be too much like the episode.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

* * *

Chapter 2

"When you said that you were hoping to see me soon, I didn't think you meant today," Elena said lightly, leaning against her front door. She was surprised by his presence, but it was in no way unwelcome. After the events of the previous evening, she'd slept later than usual, and assumed that he would have had a busy day ahead of him.

He smiled politely. "May I come in? There is a matter that I need to discuss with you."

Opening the door wider, she welcomed him inside. "Of course." She led him into the living room. "Today has been really weird," she confessed, making conversation. "I kind of had a falling out with Stefan and Damon about last night." She wouldn't even mention the events earlier that day…

"They were upset that you left?" He asked, confused as to why they were upset. He didn't care for either of her vampire protectors, but he didn't think they were so spiteful.

She sighed and shook her head in negative. "No, they were mad that I stopped your mother from doing what she intended to do," she confessed sadly. Elijah held the same regard for Damon that he felt for the Original. There was no point in attempting to be polite, at least from Damon's side.

He simply raised his eyebrows, but was unable to draw an indignant response. "Please allow me to apologize for placing you in the middle of all of this," he said after a pause. Elijah was very aware of the situation that Elena found herself in. Unlike her friends, she didn't outright hate him, though in all likelihood; she should. He could only imagine the things that Damon and Stefan had said to her because of her unwillingness to turn on him and his siblings.

"You didn't," she denied sadly, though she attempted the apology. "The truth of the matter is, there was no getting out of this. If I didn't attend the ball, your mother would have ensured that we met in another way." Although the witch had been smart upon inviting every single one of the founding families, she had known that Elena wouldn't have turned her down, not without insult to the Mikaelson family. "And…from the moment I agreed to meet her, I began second guessing myself."

He lifted a hand as if to lend silent support to her, but thought better of it after a moment. "Elena, while I want you to know that I sympathize with you and I don't intend to make light of your situation, I need to know what happened during your time with my mother last night," he said with as much sympathy as he could, while stressing the importance through his tone of voice. "I got in touch with my…Carrie," he finished, not sure how to categorize her. "She has agreed to meet me tonight, but she needs to know exactly what was done."

She chose to ignore Elijah's reference to the witch as 'his' Carrie, and focused on the events that had taken place the night before. "I don't know if I can really say…" Elena trailed off. "It isn't as if she explained everything to me."

"I understand that," he replied in a soothing tone. "And I'm not expecting all the answers, but I need to know what she was planning if I am to counteract it."

She nodded quickly. "Uh…she spoke about my blood, the blood of the doppelganger."

"We already know that it holds importance to Klaus," he added then, what was there that they hadn't considered?

"It's more than that. She said that when Tatia's blood was used to create you and your siblings, that it also bonded you together." Elena waited for him to nod in agreement before continuing. "She reasoned that because of the magical qualities that my blood possessed, because Tatia's blood created you guys, that mine could be used against you."

"Because doppelganger blood was used to create us, it could be used to kill us as well," he finished for her.

She watched him purse his lips in anger, whether it was because of her participation or because of his mother's treachery, she didn't know. "I didn't realize what she needed my blood for until it was too late. The ball last night, it wasn't a celebration."

"She was herding us together," he completed. "She used your blood to attempt to bind us together."

"Yes," Elena agreed. "With the five of you linked, all it would take is the death of one of you…the rest would fall as well."

"And your actions last night didn't work, because I didn't drink it."

She nodded slowly. "Without you drinking it, the spell was unsuccessful."

"Even if she had managed to get all of us to drink, how could she possibly think my siblings or I would be willing to die?"

She knew his question was more rhetorical than anything, but she found herself answering anyway. "You, Rebekah, Klaus and Kol might not, but what about Finn?" His attention snapped to her and she forced herself not fidget under her scrutinizing gaze. "He was with your mother when I joined her. I can't say this with absolute certainty, but whatever she is planning, I think he's in on it."

Unable to sit any longer, he immediately stood before making his way to the window. He stared unblinkingly at the sight before him, pondering over Elena's words.

She watched him for a moment, feeling helpless to help him. After a moment of deliberation, she approached him from behind, stepping close to him, but keeping her hands to herself. "I am so sorry, Elijah," she apologized, feeling helpless.

"I should have known," he sighed, running a hand over his face. He turned around to face her. "I knew she was up to something, but I hoped that he wasn't involved…"

Unable to keep the sympathy from her face, she stepped forward and grabbed his hand, holding it between both of hers.

"Finn never adjusted to this life," he admitted with a sad sigh, looking down at his joined fingers with Elena's.

"So, what does this mean for your meeting with Carrie tonight?"

He shook his head. "I was worried that I would have counteract something," Elijah replied softly. "Now that I know it didn't work, I'll need to come up with something to end this once and for all. Thank you for your absolute truth," he appreciated. "I should go, I need to devise a plan before I meet with Carrie." Offering her a small smile, he squeezed her hand once before pulling away from her.

She immediately followed him to the door. "Are you sure that's wise?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not," Elijah admitted, something he would never have said to another. "But I don't have a choice. My mother will strike again when she realizes her plan didn't work. I need to come up with something now, while she is distracted."

She nodded unsteadily. "Just…be careful, okay?" She asked.

He offered her a grin in response. "I always am."

* * *

"Hello, Elena," Kol greeted, approaching the obviously distracted brunette.

She started at her name and turned to see who had pulled her from her thoughts. "Kol," she sighed before greeting him with a tight smile. She wasn't sure what to make of the Original before her. He had apparently been on his best behavior when she'd been introduced to him at the ball. However, based on the conversations that she'd had with Caroline Forbes and Damon, he'd acted out against Matt before Damon attempted to take care of him.

"A guy could develop a complex with a greeting like that," he said with a teasing voice.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with only half the sincerity she felt, which wasn't much…specifically after what he'd done to Matt.

When her gaze turned back to the window, he attempted to follow her line of sight. It wasn't long before he spotted Elena's interest. He saw his brother talking with a rather pretty woman. Her black hair was worn in ringlets down her back and her exotic eyes were sparkling in amusement as they spoke.

"Hmm, she's a lot prettier than I thought she would be," he voiced. His eyes sparkled with amusement when he saw Elena freeze next to him. Her body had stiffened and a serious frown bit at her mouth. "Elijah and his witches…" Why not add fuel to the fire?

Elena rolled her eyes, whether it was at him or herself, she didn't know. "I can't understand what they're talking about," she murmured more to herself than him. If they were speaking on Esther's actions, why were they laughing?

Why was Carrie reaching for the hand that he had settled on the table? And more importantly, why wasn't Elijah stopping her? Ugh, why did she even care? They had a few conversations, it wasn't as if he'd pledged his undying love! Why did she care what he did with another woman? You know why, a voice taunted in her head.

"Why are you even here?" He asked, hoping to call her out.

She paused to find words. "He…I…I'm worried about Esther's plan."

He dramatically grasped the space above his heart. "Aww, I didn't know you cared so much." When she didn't appear amused in the least, he sobered up. "Now, why don't you tell me the real reason you're here?"

"I was curious," she admitted, but that was all she was willing to admit to him. She wouldn't explain any further.

He was almost tempted to ask more, but something told him he wouldn't get very far. "So…you've taken up stalking?"

"It's not stalking. It's…light recon," she denied, pouting. "Please, I'm already aware of how pathetic I look right now. I don't need you chiming in." It was a lost cause anyway, she couldn't hear them, and her lip reading skills weren't the best either. "But you're here now. You can make out what's being said."

He shook his head. "Where's the fun in that?" No, that wouldn't do. Because what was more obvious than one person peeping through a window? Two people peeping. He grabbed her hand and began pulling towards the front door of the establishment. "Just act slightly put out with me," he warned her.

"It won't take much," she replied easily. "What are you doing?" She cast a glance around the people they passed, obviously waiting to be seated.

He ignored his companion, marching towards the hostess. "Excuse me, miss," he said, offering her his more charming smile. "It's our anniversary," he shared, pulling Elena closer to his body. He did his best to ignore her taught body, his grip tightening. "And I have been so busy at work that I completely spaced on making plans tonight to celebrate."

"Congratulations, but I'm afraid you'd be in for a wait. An hour at least."

"It's okay…honey bunny," Elena replied awkwardly. "We can go somewhere else."

Kol shook his head. "But I thought you wanted to come here, baby doll?" He asked with a pointed expression on his face. He turned back to the hostess. "Are you sure there isn't anything more you can do for us?"

Elena didn't have to even look up to know the woman was being compelled. She cast a quick glance around at the patrons, making sure Kol hadn't gathered any unnecessary attention.

"You know, I could seat you next," the woman responded in a near robotic voice.

"I think that's a lovely idea, don't you, baby doll?" He asked, leaning in and kissing Elena on her cheek.

"Aww, you two are so sweet."

Sweet?! Was this woman blind or just dumb? She didn't have to see her reflection to know that she was uncomfortable being so near Kol. How did this woman not see it? Elena nearly rolled her eyes, but instead, she offered her 'boyfriend' a small smile.

"How long have you been together?"

"Ten months."

"A year."

The answers were simultaneous and the hostess looked between them in confusion.

"No, baby doll, it's been a year," he corrected. "We met a year ago," he supplied for the hostess. "But we weren't officially together until ten months ago. Apparently, we're going to have to decide which of us is right."

"It's her, it's always the woman," the hostess replied. "If you can manage to learn that and live by it, your life will be much easier to deal with."

Elena decided to chime in then. "See, honey, she understands," she cooed at Kol before turning to the hostess. "The first night I met him, he asked for my number…and then left the bar with two women. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what went on that night. Now do you see why I don't consider this our official anniversary? And the worst part was, they were hookers."

"Oh, look, your table is ready," she said when her co-worker came over to seat them.

Elena immediately turned to follow, but Kol grabbed her arm and spun her back around. "Hookers, as in plural? Really?" He whispered.

She shrugged her shoulders. "But you know you're forgiven, honey," she cooed, placing a hand on his cheek as a sign of romantic gesture. "Maybe next time you'll be more cautious about the story you spin," she whispered lowly before turning back around to follow the host. Her hair nearly whipped his face in doing so, and she walked on with a pronounced sway in her steps.

Whatever thought process he had stopped then, his attention falling to her hips. "Yes, dear," he muttered, following after her.

Elena was relieved when they were seated at a booth that wasn't too far away from Elijah. She was able to hear what was being said, but just barely. And because they were seated in a general section where they faced Elijah's back, he didn't know they were there.

"Robert is going to be your server tonight," the host said. "Until he returns, feel free to peruse the wine list."

Kol frowned at the parting figure. "Do they often encourage underage drinking?" He asked. "I mean it's obvious that you're young, and I know I don't look older than twenty-one…"

"Then I guess you'll just have to use your powers of persuasion," she suggested, taking the list from him.

When the waiter approached them, Kol ordered the most expensive bottle of wine. After using his 'power of persuasion,' the server left to retrieve it and the pair looked over the menu. At least he did while Elena pretended to. Instead she continued to look over at Elijah and his witch.

"If you don't stop looking at them, she's going to notice you and point you out," he hissed after a moment.

His voice pulled at her attention and she swiftly moved to read the menu. "You're right, I won't be so obvious."

Minutes later, their wine was delivered and their orders were taken. Kol took the liberty of pouring Elena's glass before filling his own. "You know, this is the first date I've been on in over a hundred years."

"It's not a date," she quickly rectified.

"Sorry, this is my first 'it's not a date' date in over a hundred years," he held up his glass in salutations, waiting for her to mimic him.

Grudgingly, she raised her glass to clink it with his before moving to take a sip.

He waited until she had a mouth full of wine and began to swallow before he continued on. "What with all the time I spend with the hookers," he tacked on dryly. He was rewarded when Elena began choking on her sip. "To the hookers," Kol added before taking a small sip from his glass. He paid no mind to the attention that Elena's choking brought them from the surrounding booths and tables.

* * *

The more time that passed, more wine was drunk and the more Elena loosened up. She still kept a close eye on Elijah and his witch, having taken to making a long face every time she spotted something that she didn't like.

"So, Elena, tell me about yourself," Kol prompted when the time was right. He'd bided his time, waiting for Elena to relax a little more. She'd stopped watching Elijah with a closer eye and he was going to take advantage of it.

"Something tells me that you already know everything there is to know," she replied easily. "Between Klaus and Rebekah, I'm sure that you know everything they do."

He shrugged. "Yes, but can you tell me they aren't biased?" He returned. "If I wanted to know why I needed to hate you, then yes, I could easily listen to my sister's words."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You sister never liked me."

"Yes, well, stabbing her in the back didn't exactly endear you to her," he snorted in amusement. "And as much as I enjoy speaking about my family, I'm more interested in you."

She swallowed down the remainder of wine in her glass before narrowing her gaze on him. "Are you attempting to flirt with me?"

"Of course not," he denied quickly. "I just want to get to know you, Elena. I understand that until recently you were involved in a triangle of sorts."

"Oh, Elijah, you're so funny…"

Scrunching her nose, Elena's eyes turned to Elijah. When she noticed that he appeared to be more tuned into the witch. "Could she be any more fake?" She asked in a high voice similar to the one that Carrie used. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I mean, Elijah, funny? My brother is the most serious and broody person I've ever met."

Elena giggled. "He isn't broody," she tried to defend.

"And he isn't the topic of conversation I prefer" Kol reminded her quickly. "So…about your relationship with the Salvatore brothers…" He filled up her glass again.

"No relationship," she denied. "Not anymore, your brother made sure of that," Elena didn't bother to hide her frown. She supposed that she'd always feel robbed where Stefan was concerned because of the way that things ended between them.

"So…if someone was to make their interest…known," he began, carefully selecting his words. "Would you be open to exploring that?"

"I guess it would depend on the guy," she replied upon pondering it for a moment.

"And if I was that guy?" He asked lightly.

She giggled again. "Yeah, okay…"

"I'm serious," Kol denied. "There must be something about you, you've managed to capture the interest of two sets of brothers. From what I understand, Klaus and Elijah both had a very keen interest in you, and your Salvatore brothers never stray far from your side."

"Your brothers were only interested as far as I could further drive their purposes. Once they had what they wanted, they moved on." Her eyes strayed to Elijah once again, watching him with Carrie. He'd never looked at her like that, not once. "And I think it's very apparent that Damon moved on with your sister and Stefan just…" She didn't know what her relationship with Stefan was.

"What my sister and Damon did was just sex," he denied. "It can be used as both a release and a source of fun, but I highly doubt they'll be announcing their unending love any time soon."

"Right," she muttered, still not liking the idea of Damon and Rebekah. Her mutual dislike for Rebekah aside, she did grudgingly admit to feeling a sense of ownership where Damon was concerned. She didn't like that he'd slept with Rebekah and didn't understand why it had to be her of all people.

"Have you ever done that?"

Done what? Sex? "Of course, I've had sex."

He shook his head. "No, I mean just sex. No relationship, no emotional tie. Just sex."

She shook her head. "No." Not that she'd had a ton of experience in the past, she'd been in a relationship with both of her partners at the time. And though there may have been a drunken romp in the sack with Matt, there were still feelings involved.

"Do you want to?" He offered.

When had he moved so close to her? She felt his hand skim up her arm and he began to play with her hair. "Are you propositioning me?" She asked, turning to look at him with a smile on her face. The wine warmed her body and she knew that if it wasn't for that, she would never have reacted that way.

"Why, are you interested?" He asked with a devilish smirk on his face.

"I don't do casual sex."

"No, you've never had casual sex," he clarified. "But it's so much fun."

For one brief moment, she entertained the invitation. She had no relationship that restricted her from accepting his offer. Stefan wasn't interested in pursuing their relationship. Damon, though she wasn't romantically linked to him, was otherwise invested and Elijah was…he was engaged elsewhere.

"No," Elena finally replied. "I don't think so." She may have had no previous romantic interests that were cause to hold her back, but she had integrity. And she wouldn't lower herself in such a way. As enticing as Kol appeared to be in that moment, she knew it was just the wine. "I think I…need some air." Without waiting for him, she grabbed her purse and attempted to stand. When the straps of her purse caught the edge of the table, she stumbled back into the booth.

Kol watched her with a frown. He hadn't intended for her to get smashed. He'd been hoping to loosen her inhibitions. He reached for his wallet and tossed enough money on the table to cover their order before. "Okay, it's time to go." He moved around the table, standing just behind her.

"I'm trying, but my purse isn't cooperating," she hissed, knowing that they were attracting attention.

"Yes," he nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure that's it." Reaching across her, his body flush against hers, he grabbed her purse and righted her.

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" She asked, referring to the fact that he'd touched her in such a way.

He smirked at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not going to have sex with you," she reminded him, though her body seemed to fall against his.

Placing an arm through hers, he led them out of the restaurant. "Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my partners to be not only willing, but not completely thrashed," he said, holding the door open for her. As they stepped into the night air, he helped her into her jacket.

"Thank you," she said, frowning at him. "I don't know what to think about you," she admitted after a moment.

"What's there to think about?" He asked, moving closer to her once again. He pushed her hair back, his eyes focused on her neck. However, before he could do anything further, he felt someone rip him away from her. Given the intensity of the action, he knew it was his brother before he even regained his balance.

"What the hell is this?!"

Elena stumbled behind him.

Elijah turned to steady her, and the strong scent of wine assaulted his nose. Peering more closely at Elena, he took notice of her flushed cheeks and the slightly dazed expression on her face. "Are you drunk?" He immediately spun around to confront his brother. "Is she drunk?"

"It was just a little bit of wine," Kol denied. "I didn't realize that she'd-"

"Drink the entire bottle?" Elijah interrupted, his angry voice gathering the attention from everyone near them. "What the hell were you thinking, Kol?"

"How did you know I had so much?" Elena asked, watching the Original from behind. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. Wow, way to focus, Elena…

"You mean aside from the fact that you're drunk?" He asked caustically.

She narrowed her gaze on him. "You knew we were there," she accused.

"Of course I knew," Elijah hissed. "I was aware of you the moment you were seated."

She frowned. "But you didn't even let on…"

"My brother knew," Elijah replied. "And he took pleasure in taunting me because he knew I wouldn't do anything in the restaurant." When the expression on her face morphed into one of confusion he elaborated. "You didn't think he was actually serious about having sex with you, did you?"

She felt her heckles immediately rise. What was that supposed to mean? Sure, maybe she didn't have the same exotic features that Elijah's witch did, but it wasn't as if she fell off the ugly tree, hitting every branch on the way down! And just because Elijah had no interest in her didn't mean that no one else did! Her face must have belied her feelings because when she moved to march away from him, Elijah immediately seized her arm, holding her in place.

"I didn't mean it like that, Elena," he breathed, standing directly behind her. "I just meant that my brother wouldn't be stupid enough to try such a thing with you of all people."

She slapped his hand away and spun around to face him. "There you go again, talking like I'm not good enough. Just who the hell do you think you are, Elijah Mikaelson?" She demanded, her hands settling on her waist.

"I didn't mean it like that," Elijah denied, expelling an exasperated sigh. What was worse than an emotional female? A drunk, emotional one!

"Just because you don't want to have sex with me doesn't mean that no one else does," she shot back, annoyed with him and insulted that he'd said what he had. She looked past him and focused on Kol. "And did you ever think that he hadn't said it only to get a rise out of you?"

Elijah followed her gaze and immediately spun around to face his brother, wearing a deep expression of hatred. "Hey, don't look at me," Kol said, finding amusement over the situation he found himself in.

"You'd have sex with me, wouldn't you, Kol?" Elena asked.

"Don't you dare answer that, Kol!" Elijah growled. "And you," he began, spinning back around towards Elena. "I am about three seconds away from compelling you to shut your mouth," he warned in a dangerously calm voice.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She was nowhere near finished, but she could wait. If he thought the conversation was over, he was seriously fucking mistaken.

* * *

AN: So what'd you guys think? Entertaining?


	4. Chapter 4

Aria: Originally, I had such a difficult time writing that part, but when I sat down to write it, it was really easy. I'm glad you liked it.

Elejah: Thank you. I actually like writing Elena and Kol together.

Bulldozed: I'll go further into Elijah's thoughts on the scene in this chapter.

Eva: That part that you quoted happened to be a spur of the moment addition. It wasn't in the original version, I only added it when I did a final read through and thought that the chapter needed something more. And Happy (Belated) Easter to you too.

Guest: As much as I enjoyed writing that scene, I can't picture many more in this story, this wasn't intended to be very long. But I'm glad you liked it!

Sharbour: Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I'm glad you liked it.

Diehardromantic: As I told someone else in another response, that last bit was added in my final read through when I thought the chapter needed a little more.

Barbossas: I don't know if the rest of the story will be as entertaining, as they still have to deal with Esther and Finn.

Heather: Thank you for leaving a review.

Guest: Thank you for reading.

Elijah: I'm going to be skipping ahead to the next day, however, you guys will be able to read Elijah's reaction to the scene.

Ellie: I would think he'd be savvy too, but I like the idea that he just doesn't know how to handle a drunk Elena and her lack of a filter.

Chabuduo: Thank you, and thanks for taking the time to review.

Guest: Thank you for reading.

Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long to update, between work and Easter and entertaining, I didn't have a much of a chance to write. Please forgive me in the way that I've taken liberties. I can't remember much how things went down in the show when it came to how everyone learned that all the vampires were tied to the Originals and that if they died then anyone spawned from their bloodline did.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

* * *

Chapter 3

Closing the bathroom door softly behind him, Elijah used the towel to dry his hair a bit. Clad in his boxers and pants only, he stopped in front of a still slumbering Elena. There was no chance that she wouldn't be hung over, not with the amount of wine she'd consumed. It was only a matter of when her body would wake up and realize it.

"_Jesus, Kol, what were you thinking?" Elijah berated as he drove them towards the mansion. "You should never have approached her."_

"_I told you I was curious about her," he shrugged. "All I did was keep her company while you were otherwise engaged," the youngest brother denied easily. _

"_And you got her drunk, and you propositioned her," Elijah bit out, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. _

"_Maybe I was just curious about what kept you going back for more. Not that she or her predecessors are unfortunate looking, but there are far more enticing women out there." His response was flippant and he knew he was only adding to his brother's irritation. _

"_You will stay away from Elena from here on out." _

"_You aren't the boss of me, brother," Kol practically hissed out the last word. "And as far as I know, you are in no position to dictate Elena's life," he added, casting a look at the topic of his sentence. Elena, upon entering the car, passed out. _

"_Do you need to be neutralized?" Elijah asked then. "Because all I need to do is ask Nicklaus for a white oak tipped dagger." And there was no doubt in his mind that Klaus would give it to him. His relationship with Kol had always been volatile._

"_Taking a page out of our dear brother's book?" Kol demanded then, angered by the threat._

"_I'm not above it," Elijah threatened. "If you pull another stunt like you did tonight…" _

He'd dropped his brother off before turning around in the opposite direction before heading towards the Gilbert residence. He had considered keeping Elena at the mansion, but he didn't feel comfortable with her being in such close quarters to his mother.

There was no way his mother didn't realize he was on to her. Though she and Finn were mysteriously absent every time he was at the mansion, Elijah knew they were attempting to rework another plan. He still hadn't told his siblings about his suspicion regarding Esther. He had a feeling that his sister would be hard pressed to believe him and Klaus wouldn't be able to stop himself from attacking their mother or Finn.

It was the reason that he'd called Carrie. He was hoping that she'd be able to come up with something for him to use against Esther and Finn. And then, he would speak to his siblings. Of course he hadn't been able to come right out and ask her for help of the magical variety first thing, he had to build up a repertoire. And it had been a nice evening.

It may have been twenty years since he'd last seen her, but Carrie was just as beautiful as ever. Obviously, her body had matured and it had changed after giving birth ten years earlier, but not much else had. Life had agreed with her, and as the saying went, 'she'd aged like wine.' Aside from the fact that it had been so long since they'd met face to face, they easily slipped back into a flirty banter. They had never had a problem in the bedroom, it was everything else that got between them.

"_So…it's over then?" Elijah asked, noticing the bags that were packed and the boxes that littered her living room. He offered her a sad smile. _

_Carrie licked her lips. "Come on," she said, sighing. "You and I both know that it was bound to happen sometime," she shrugged weakly. "There's a reason why vampires and witches don't hook up more often." Stepping closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_He easily returned the embrace. "I know," he admitted. And he did. Things had been going downhill for the last month. He should have been the bigger person to end it, but he hadn't wanted to. Carrie was familiar and comfortable. She really was a great companion. _

"_I think I'm going to head to South Carolina," Carrie shrugged. It was where her sister was, and she needed to be around someone familiar. "I'll write you when I get there," she said pulling away from him. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed his lips. "If you ever need me, I'm there for you," she promised._

It was if no time had passed between. He greeted her with a welcoming embrace. Other than the few letters they'd exchanged through the years, they hadn't spoken. And he'd been genuinely curious about her life, about her daughter. And he'd intended to give her his undivided attention, until he heard someone hissing in annoyance.

"_If you don't stop looking at them, she's going to notice you and point you out," he hissed after a moment. _

_Was that his brother? And more importantly, who was he talking to? _

"_You're right, I won't be so obvious."_

_Elena!? What the hell was his brother doing with her? They'd only been introduced the night before. Kol had a way with women, but he didn't think he was that good. Not to mention the obvious question, how did he get her away from her Salvatore brothers?_

He kept a close eye on the pair after that.

_Minutes later, their wine was delivered and their orders were taken. Kol took the liberty of pouring Elena's glass before filling his own. "You know, this is the first date I've been on in over a hundred years." _

"_It's not a date," she quickly rectified. _

_Damn right it wasn't a date! He shouldn't have worried, and Elena could hold her own against Kol._

"_Sorry, this is my first 'it's not a date' date in over a hundred years," he held up his glass in salutations, waiting for her to mimic him._

_He stiffened upon hearing Kol's words. He wanted nothing more than to turn around, but he wouldn't give his brother the satisfaction. Obviously, Kol knew that he could easily overhear them. _

And so his conversation with Carrie continued. She told him about her husband, how he had first been her friend. That they'd supported one another in relationship after relationship and things remained nothing but platonic for eight years. And then one day, it wasn't enough anymore.

"_I'm amazed that it took him that long to realize it," he voiced then. "Tell me, is this husband of yours blind?" _

_Carrie giggled. "Oh, Elijah. You're so funny." _

"_Are you attempting to flirt with me?"_

"_Of course not," he denied quickly. "I just want to get to know you, Elena. I understand that until recently you were involved in a triangle of sorts."_

_His brother wouldn't dare… "You touch her and you'll regret it, Kol," he hissed under his breath, knowing that his brother would be able to hear him easily. _

"_Elijah? Are you okay?"_

_He shook his head and smiled at Carrie. "No," he admitted in a soft voice. "Much has happened in the past weeks and…"_

During the course of his relationship with Carrie, he'd told her about his family and the status of his relationship with Klaus, so there wasn't much to explain on that front. And he'd told her about his reunion with Klaus, the sacrifice and the fact that his brother had daggered him. He mentioned being awakened and the fact that the rest of his siblings were as well. He told her about Esther's appearance. And then he finished by explaining about the doppelganger and his and Elena's suspicion about her blood and what power it had against them.

And during the course of his explanation, he'd listened to Kol and Elena's conversation with half an ear; swearing to commit murder every time Kol opened his mouth. But it came to culmination when his brother eluded to sex.

"_Have you ever done that?"_

_Oh yes…Kol was a dead man. _

"_Of course, I've had sex."_

_He shook his head. "No, I mean just sex. No relationship, no emotional tie. Just sex." _

_His body coiled and he was ready to strike. Carrie's voice faded, the world around him faded and he heard nothing but the conversation between Elena and his brother. _

"_No." _

"_Do you want to?" He offered._

_His hand fisted against the table and he fought to control himself. He wanted nothing more than to jump across the distance and snap his brother's neck. What was worse was the silence that followed the invitation. Was Elena seriously considering his invitation? What was wrong with her? _

"_Elijah, what is wrong with you?" Carrie asked, easily able to pick up on his mood. _

"_No," Elena finally replied. _

_Finally! _

"_I don't think so." Though he could detect the slightest bit of hesitation in her voice. "I think I…need some air." _

"_My brother is here with Elena and…I have to go." Even as he spoke, he heard his brother suggest the same thing to Elena. "I'm sorry, Carrie, but I…" he trailed off, unable to finish his thought. He turned to offer her a sincere apology, but stopped when he noticed that she appeared to be studying him. _

"_Go. You have my number. Call me when you have a moment," she said, completely understanding that he needed to leave. "I will expect an explanation," she informed him pointedly. _

_He nodded. "I know," Elijah answered, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. "You'll get one."_

Groaning pulled him out of his thoughts. "Oh God…" His gaze fell on Elena. Her eye make-up was smeared and her hair tangled in a large knot. She groaned again, opening her eyes and then closing them against the blaring sun. "What…?"

"Did you enjoy your night?" He asked casually.

His presence startled her and she turned in his direction. "Elijah? What? What happened?" She couldn't keep her eyes open, the sunshine only made her head hurt more. For a moment, she doubted that he was even there.

What should he say? More importantly, what did she remember? "What do you remember from last night?"

"…Wine. I remember wine," she admitted in a whisper. Her stomach lurched. She bolted up from the bed, and ran for the bathroom.

The door slammed behind her and he was easily able to discern the sound of retching. Wincing at the sound, he expelled a deep breath and moved for his shirt.

After emptying the contents of her stomach and brushing her teeth, Elena returned to her room. She'd nearly shrieked upon seeing her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her hair was ratty and her mascara had smudged. "It's official, I've hit a new low…" She murmured, turning on the shower.

God! Elijah had seen her in such a state! She supposed it didn't matter if she had feelings for him, because after that morning, she was certain that it would never be reciprocated. She wasn't sure what his past relationships entailed or how attractive his partners had been (because she was sure they had been beautiful), there was no way she stood a chance.

Stepping into the shower, she nearly melted under the hot spray. Her head was still pounding, but at least her stomach wasn't protesting anymore. With quick but careful movements, she washed her hair and body before getting out.

With a towel wrapped around her body, she returned to the bedroom, stopping when she found Elijah bent over her night stand. Though the towel was secured around her, her hands settled over the top, in case it loosened.

"I'm sorry," Elijah apologized. "I thought I'd be able to deliver this and be out of the room before you left the bathroom." His eyes briefly met hers, belying the truth to his words before flittering away.

"Elijah, I…I am so…incredibly sorry," she stumbled over her words, her cheeks flamed. "Between last night and this morning… I don't know what's wrong with me, I don't normally-"

He'd always been aware of the fact that there was an age difference. Immortality aside, he was still fifteen years older than her. Yet, they didn't lead normal lives, and given the situations that they'd faced, she'd faced, it was easy to forget just how young she really was. However, he was painfully aware of it in that moment. Retrieving the pills and water he'd brought up for her, he handed them to her.

"Th…Thank you," she stuttered, reaching for the items.

He offered her a small smile. "You're welcome. We can talk later. I'm sorry if I've overstepped my bounds, but I've invited Carrie over so we can finish our conversation from last night." When he noticed Elena purse her lips, he rushed to continue on. "I'm sorry for taking such liberties, but I couldn't bring her back to the mansion and I would feel better discussing such a thing in privacy, as opposed to a hotel."

She nodded once before swallowing the pills he'd given her.

"You're more than welcome to join us if you feel up to it," he welcomed.

* * *

"Thank you for coming over," Elijah greeted Carrie at the door. "Please, come in."

She took inventory of her surroundings. "Nice house, though I never would have guessed you live here." There was nothing wrong with it, however, she remembered the opulence that Elijah tended to surround himself with.

"I don't," he replied, leading her towards the living room. "Elena does."

He went home with Elena? "Oh…" Huh…that was interesting.

He shook his head. "It isn't like that," Elijah instantly denied. "She was completely trashed and I…" He trailed off. No matter what he said, it wouldn't have made a difference. He knew he could have dropped Elena off and returned to the mansion, but the thought hadn't even crossed his mind the night before. Instead, he put her to bed and then fell asleep on the couch.

Carrie subtly looked around. "And where is she?"

"She's slightly hung over. She's upstairs, taking her second shower of the morning," he admitted, chuckling. He hadn't suffered from a hangover in a thousand years. And while part of him felt guilty for finding amusement in her predicament, a much larger part felt vindicated; especially when he recalled her questions towards Kol and the jealousy that he'd felt.

"Elena is the doppelganger, correct?" She asked, though she already remembered that much from yesterday.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "Yes," he answered cautiously.

She pursed her lips and nodded casually. "And you've been in love with her for how long?"

Her question startled him. "I beg your pardon?" He asked, nearly choking. "I'm not…" he sighed.

"Elijah," she interrupted his thought process. "I know it's been a while since we've seen one another, but you can't lie to me," she reminded him softly.

"Carrie, not now." He couldn't discuss it, not then. There were more important things to worry about. He wasn't ready to discuss Elena or his intentions for her, he certainly wasn't ready to think on them. "Did you come up with a plan?"

She really didn't want to drop the conversation. It was amusing to see Elijah react in such a way to a woman. He was the epitome of control and he had full control of his emotions, until it came to this woman. It was miniscule, but after knowing him as well as she had, she knew. And though there would always be a small sliver of her heart that was devoted to him, she loved her husband. Her delight far outweighed the sliver of jealousy she felt.

"I think so," she sighed. "And though it isn't as drastic as certain death," she recalled the plan he'd shared with her. "I do think your Elena is going to have a problem with it."

"She isn't my Elena," he denied instantly before moving back onto the topic. "What is your plan?"

"I steal someone's powers," she shrugged. "If I can steal someone's powers, it will break the bond of the Bennett line and I believe I have enough witches that would be willing to help me send Esther back to the other side."

"And they'd do that?" He asked, finding himself unable to believe her words. "Witches and vampires don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to working together."

She nodded. "I know," but she liked to think that her friends would trust her enough to do it. "There won't be too many, but they're powerful enough. I know that you would hate to do something against Elena's witch friend, I am giving you that opportunity." He hadn't said anything, but she knew that his main concern was Elena and what his actions would mean to her.

"And it wouldn't be permanent?" He asked, needing to make sure.

She offered him a reassuring smile. "No, after Esther is taken care of, I'll return them."

"And what is to stop my mother from using them again?" And if the powers were returned, would his mother have access to them again?

"My friends will do everything they can to make sure that doesn't happen," she vowed. "I made a promise to you once, that I would help you…whatever you need. And I intend to follow through with it."

"Okay, I trust you." The words weren't easy to come by, but he meant them all the same.

"Now, may I suggest we get in touch with Elena's friend?"

He nodded once in agreement. "I guess I should probably call my siblings as well," he sighed, not looking forward to the conversation with them. Walking her to the door, Elijah held it open for her. "I'll call you as soon as we're ready," he said.

Carrie trailed behind him. "Okay, I'll wait for your call. Elijah, the sooner the better," she cautioned him.

* * *

"You son of a bitch! I should have known that you would be so stupid as to align yourself with the woman that wants to kill us!" Kol stalked into the living room, paying no mind to Klaus or Rebekah, he focused on Finn. He towered over his brother, his anger vibrating through him. "How could you have been so stupid?"

"We never should have been created," Finn denied in hoarse voice. "Mother made a mistake."

"Her mistake saved our lives countless times," Finn shot back. "I know you never particularly cared for this life, but I thought it was pretty honkey-dorey."

Klaus, having had enough, stepped forward. "Not that I don't enjoy watching this little spat of yours. I can't help but feel curious about the reason why." He turned his interest on Kol. "What do you know that the rest of us don't?"

"I know that right now, Elijah is meeting with a witch because mommy-dearest tried to kill us all the night of the ball."

"She wouldn't do that," Rebekah denied, speaking up for the first time. "She said that she wanted us all to be together again. She wouldn't have said that unless-"

"Wake up, Rebekah." Kol wanted to throttle her. While he and Rebekah had never seen eye to eye on, well, anything, she'd never been blind about anything or anyone. "She isn't our mother, she hasn't been for a thousand years. You really think that she'd do nothing after watching the acts that we've committed over the years?"

Klaus glared at Rebekah for daring to interrupt. "What did she do?" His voice was tight and his siblings knew they were on thin ice.

Kol sighed. "She took blood from your doppelganger and laced the champagne with it in effort to tie us together."

Rebekah offered Klaus a look of confusion. "I don't feel any different, do you?" Surely, if that was the case, she would have known, they would have known by then.

"Elena stopped Elijah from drinking it, thus ruining their plan."

Klaus pursed his lips. He'd think on that fact in a moment. "What was supposed to happen once we were tied?"

Kol offered Finn a dark look. "Our darling brother was going to play the sacrificial lamb and kill himself."

"Thus kill the rest of us," Klaus finished. He moved away from the rest of his siblings.

"What I don't understand, is why go through all the trouble to kill us?" Kol voiced, looking back to Finn. "Let's go with that mindset and mo-Esther actually achieves her plan to kill us, there are still other vampires out there, it isn't as if she'd be ridding the world…" He trailed off, his thoughts moving a mile a minute. "Son of a bitch!" Understanding dawned on him and he leapt towards Finn, holding his neck in his hand.

"Kol!" Rebekah moved to get in between them.

Without removing his hold or gaze from Finn, he tossed Rebekah away as if she was nothing more than a fly. "You despicable, good for nothing, piece of shit!"

Rebekah flew back to her brother's side. She was both angry and annoyed that he'd pushed her away, but her curiosity won out. "What are you going on about?"

"He finally realized it," Finn said casually. He'd dealt with Kol on many occasions, his temper was hardly frightening for him.

Her dead stare reflected her ignorance of whatever realization that Kol had come to.

"If we die, then every single vampire spawned from our blood dies as well," her younger brother supplied when Finn didn't bother to answer.

The female Mikaelson balked upon hearing the revelation. What? Kol couldn't possibly have been right! Why would Finn do something like that? Why would he willingly end his life for the sake of righting their mother's mistake? How could he have possibly agreed to such a thing? He'd betrayed them, his own siblings…for what? Why? How?

Before anything more could be said, Klaus advanced on Finn. Dagger in hand, he thrust it into Finn's gut. The siblings watched as he became immobile, his skin graying as he succumbed to the power of the white oak ash.

"Where is Elijah now?" Klaus demanded, turning to face Kol.

* * *

"You expect me to what?" Bonnie asked with an air of incredulity. Her eyes traveled from her friend before her to the Original. His back was turned and he was speaking on the phone.

"I know it sounds crazy, Bonnie, but it's the only way…" Elena interjected weakly. When Elijah asked her to call Bonnie over, she'd finally journeyed from the sanctuary of her bedroom.

The Bennett witch immediately shook her head. "There has to be another way," she insisted.

Disconnecting his call, he turned around to address the witch. "Miss Bennett, I do believe that you're the reason why my mother is here in the first place," Elijah replied stiffly. "You should not have interfered in the first place."

She opened her mouth to respond against his harsh words, but was interrupted from doing so.

"He's right, Bonnie," Elena admitted.

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head over the audacity of her friend. "How can you say such a thing? I'm not the only one that was looking for a way to take care of Klaus," she bit out, reminding her friend of that.

Elena nodded. "I know," the brunette admitted softly. "But we only made things worse. This isn't just about Klaus anymore. She won't be happy with only taking him."

Bonnie shook her head. "So?" She asked, her eyes never faltering from Elena's, though she could feel the Original's eyes piercing her. "I don't owe them any allegiance. And I can guarantee that Stefan and Damon would say the same thing."

"No, you don't," Elijah agreed stiffly. "However, I've just had an interesting call. If my mother succeeds in her plans, not only will she kill my siblings and me, but all of the vampires throughout the world."

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"If you won't help for sake of helping us, then what about for your friends? While I believe you feel similar to me where the elder Salvatore is concerned, can you say the same for the younger? What about your friend Caroline? Would you just let her die?"

"How?" Bonnie asked, her mind attempting to find understanding.

"All the vampires in the world have been spawned from us. Should we die, every vampire created from our bloodline will cease to exist as well; whether we were directly involved in their transition or not." He waited for the fact to sink in before he spoke again. "Now, do we have your cooperation?"

Elena grabbed both of Bonnie's hands within hers. "Bonnie, please."

"You're talking about taking my powers," she whispered.

"And I'm talking about the death of your friends," Elijah replied. "I do have another solution if you'd like," his voice took on an air of ease. "However, this one would involve the death of your mother or yourself. Either way, I could care less about which path you choose to take, so long as my mother is taken care of." While he had no care for the witch in front of him, he would hate for Elena to endure such pain.

Before Bonnie could say something else, there was a pounding on the door.

"I'm going to guess it's your family…" Elena sighed. She watched Elijah nod once before she moved to answer the door.

"Is Elijah here?" Rebekah asked, not bothering to greet the doppelganger in front of her.

Elena nodded once. "If I let you in, you all have to promise that none of you will harm me or Bonnie…"

"Lucky for you, we have a much larger situation to deal with," Klaus bit out. "You and your friend are safe from us tonight," he guaranteed.

* * *

AN: Okay, so as I say all the time, it's been such a long time since I've watched any episodes, I can't remember if all of the Originals had been invited in, or how many times they were (because of the de-invitation spell Bonnie can cast). For the sake of my story, let's just say that there isn't any danger of them being permanently welcomed inside the Gilbert residence.


	5. Chapter 5

Sharbour: Thank you.

Aria: I hope you aren't too disappointed with this one.

Eva: Yeah, caught that part about 'tonight,' did you? It will be addressed briefly in this chapter. And thank you, I did worry that part would be confusing. I always look forward to reading your reviews, and they always cheer me up immensely.

Bulldozed: It does help. So, I know it's different than the way things went down in the show, but I don't plan on killing Finn so that will be different as well.

DarkAngel: I know, I heard about that. I get that Nina's leaving the franchise, but wouldn't it be a hoot and a half if she joined the cast of TO and Nina and Daniel were finally back on screen together? I struggled after Daniel left TVD, so I'm not sure what Nina leaving altogether will do for my writing; that being said, I haven't watched any episodes in seasons 5 &amp; 6\. I think it's just the fact of knowing that she's going to be gone will mess me up.

Guest: Thank you, and thank you taking the time to read.

Elliesmeow: It's funny, I always stress when I have to write a Kolena scene (in any of my stories) and it seems to come off so well for people. I have to admit, I did have fun with writing that scene. I'm not sure how I'm going to write that part, as this is just another transition chapter, I have time to decide.

Bellisle: Other than Elejah, I never guarantee couples. I don't have as big of a love for the others the same way I do for Elena and Elijah. I can't stand to read Elijah paired with anyone other than Elena, but I don't care if Caroline ends up with Klaus, Stefan, Finn or even Kol. And as the same as my previous stories, if I do pair up other characters, it will only be mentioned in passing. I hadn't even realized I had included only those characters until you pointed it out, though I hope I don't disappoint you with how I do end it.

Ellie: Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to review!

Author's note: So I know this is more of a transition chapter than anything. I've had a majority of it written for a couple days now. I just didn't have a good way to end the chapter. I'm still not thrilled with what I'm posting, but I lost my fight against a cold and it seems like every time I attempt to sit down and write, my mind goes blank. Really, it took me hours to get the last page typed. It's awful, and I can't wait until I feel better! I apologize ahead of time for not giving you guys my best, but I'm already behind in updating this and I wanted to get something out.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

* * *

Chapter 4

"You should have told us!" Klaus bit out, staring accusingly at Elijah.

The more level-headed sibling shook his head. "And deal with this?" Elijah asked caustically. "This," he emphasized the word, "is why I didn't say anything. I knew you would overreact."

"Considering that the woman that gave birth to us is trying to kill us, I'd say that my reaction is relatively normal, and dare I say, much deserved," the hybrid hissed.

From his position on the couch, Kol shrugged. "At least he reacted. You should have seen Becks," he snorted. "I didn't realize that she was capable of the doe-eyed look anymore."

Approaching him from behind the couch, Rebekah slapped him over the head. "Excuse me for thinking better of her." When she was human, she'd been extremely close to her mother. Being the only women in a house full of men, she and her mother did everything together. While her brothers were gone for days at a time, hunting, it had been up to Esther to her everything she knew. Before she'd been turned, her mother was even beginning to teach her witchcraft. It was difficult to believe that the same woman was trying to kill them.

"Can we get back to the issue at hand?" Elijah asked. "Yes, perhaps I should have said something sooner," he pointedly ignore the agreements. "But the fact of the matter is, I've come up with a solution."

The female Mikaelson shook her head. "We should have come up with a plan together," Rebekah replied. "This affects all of us. How could you not say anything before?"

"Would you have even believed me?" He asked. "Even when I told you that I suspected something before I knew for sure, you were hard pressed to believe me." Ignoring his brothers for a moment, he approached his sister. "I'm sorry, Rebekah, I should have told you. I didn't mean to keep something so important from you." He placed his arms around her. "But I have a plan that will ensure that we live much longer."

She nodded into his chest.

"So," Klaus said. "What's your plan? And what's this about a witch?"

* * *

As soon as Elena led the Originals into the living room, she and Bonnie had been on the edge of their seats as Klaus tossed one accusation after another towards Elijah. They'd finally made themselves scarce, and excused themselves to the kitchen. Though neither supposed it did much good, seeing as they were easily able to hear them; they at least gave the appearance of privacy.

"On the plus side, Klaus swore he wouldn't touch us tonight," Elena informed her friend with a sarcastic smile.

Bonnie was unable to keep from snorting in amusement. "How magnanimous…" she trailed off. Though if she were Elena, she would have bartered for a lot more than one night. "You know…after everything that we've been through with them, because of them…" she trailed off with a sigh. "I can't believe that you're backing this," Bonnie hissed. "As if that is the only way to take care of this situation…"

"You heard them," Elena responded in an equally low voice. "There is no other way since Esther is backpacking on yours and Abby's powers."

"How do you even know they're telling the truth?" Bonnie asked, grasping. "Klaus has never hidden the fact that he wants things done his way. And Rebekah? Look how she's acted since she arrived in Mystic Falls!" Neither hid the fact that they were willing to manipulate situations for their own benefit. "And though I don't know Kol, I heard all about what he did to Matt at the ball."

There was no arguing against any of those observations. "But what about Elijah?" Elena returned. "He's proven time and time again that he was a man of his word."

"Until the night we needed him most and he turned his back on us," Bonnie retorted. She took a moment to study her friend. "Seriously, Elena, what is with you? You, above everyone else, should be angry about that."

Elena sighed wearily. "But I'm not, and if I'm willing to look past that, then you should too," she denied. When it appeared that Bonnie was ready to argue with her, she shook her head. "Look, I haven't forgotten anything that happened that night, or because of the events that happened that night. But we aren't completely blameless in this, you know? We all betrayed Elijah in one way or another."

"So that makes it okay?" Was she the only sane one in the house?

Elena shook her head. "And we've all acted against the rest of them. It isn't as if we're completely blameless in all of this," she reminded her friend gently. "Elijah's words, while harsh, were true." And she felt genuine guilt well up inside her then. "We acted rashly. We were so intent on taking care of Klaus that we didn't stop to think about anything else." She waited for her words to sink in before she continued. "And even if this is nothing more than a rouse, are you willing to bet Caroline's life on it?" She asked pointedly.

Bonnie sighed wearily. "No," she admitted quietly.

"In all honesty, I believe them. I really don't think any of them are that good of actors. Besides, if it wasn't true, why wouldn't Klaus have admitted such, he doesn't care about anything so long as he gets what he wants," she tacked on. He would have had no qualms about compelling anyone to do what he wanted.

"And you really think that it's only temporary?" The witch asked, referring to her powers being taken. "It wouldn't be the first time that a witch acted against us."

Elena pursed her lips as she mulled over her words. She knew that Bonnie wanted reassurance, but she couldn't offer her any with complete honesty. "Elijah trusts this woman to keep her word, and we both know that he doesn't extend his trust to many people." Not to mention that she was his former lover… She mentally shook the thought away as she scrunched her nose. "And I trust Elijah."

She didn't understand where this trust came from. When had Elena grown so close to Elijah? And maybe 'close' was the wrong word to use to describe it? But she didn't get it… Once upon a time, it was as if Stefan and Damon walked on water where her friend was concerned. Elena placed her trust in both of the Salvatore brothers without a moment's hesitation. When had that changed? Unless… Her head shot up and she settled an accusing gaze on Elena.

"Oh my…you like him!" Bonnie accused in a harsh whisper.

Elena's eyes widened in alarm as her gaze shifted towards the direction of the living room where Elijah and his siblings were. She listened to hear if they were still talking, to make sure there wasn't a chance that they'd overheard Bonnie's words. Surely, if such a fact was revealed, it would have been mentioned, serious situation or not…

"Shhh!" Elena hissed. "It's not…I…maybe," she admitted in a whisper. Again, her thoughts turned more disparaging after the events of that morning; she had to mentally shake the thoughts off. "This is hardly the place and time to discuss this," she added. "Maybe we should make sure that my potential love interest survives the night before we have a sharing fest."

"What are you going to do about Stefan and Damon?" Bonnie asked, not bothering to keep her voice down.

"What's this about Stefan and Damon?" Klaus asked as he entered the kitchen, his siblings trailing behind him.

Elena and Bonnie exchanged a look.

"We were…" Bonnie trailed off, unable to come up with something to say.

"Just thinking about their reactions to this," Elena finished for her friend. "They don't know what's going on, maybe it would be a good idea to keep them in the loop?"

Klaus narrowed his gaze, piercing first the witch and then settling his intense look on his doppelganger. "Uh huh…" He didn't believe them for a moment. "And why are you taking the time to discuss this with them?"

"You mean aside from the fact that their lives are at stake too?" Bonnie asked.

"And what if one of them happens to…get in the way of things tonight?" Elena asked. "If they see us around town with you guys, they're going to get curious and follow."

Bonnie nodded along with the point. "And who knows what they'll say or do if that happens," she finished matter-of-factly.

Even as her friend finished her excuse, Elena knew that Klaus didn't believe them. Her eyes faltered from his and she looked at both Kol and Rebekah before stopping on Elijah. His expression held the same skepticism, but to a lesser degree. She bit her bottom lip and could only shake her head.

"They do have a point," Rebekah grudgingly admitted. "They're going to be all sorts of curious if they see us running around together."

Elijah felt his disbelief lessen as his sister chimed in. "We both know how they are if they suspect something is going on," he said, looking to Klaus. "Maybe the girls should call them and explain what's going on…"

"Yes, they do have a tendency to be pains in my ass," Klaus admitted before he turned back to Elena. "Fine, call them," he said, as if he had the final say on things. "But make sure that you tell them that if they get in the way, I still have hybrids at my bidding." If worst came to worst and they were all going to parish that night, the last thing Stefan and Damon would experience was incredible pain.

* * *

"You haven't called them yet," Elijah said, joining Elena on her front porch. After Klaus' go ahead, Elena excused herself to a quiet place as he placed a call to Carrie to find out what more she needed on her end. While Carrie mentioned having what she needed, she did ask if he knew a place that had strong magic.

He left the others inside the house where Kol found himself in an uncomfortable conversation with Bonnie as Rebekah rolled her eyes and Klaus offered sarcastic barbs every once in a while. His attention had fallen to the brunette outside, never hearing a word that was exchanged between his brother and the Bennett witch.

His presence pulled her from her thoughts and she ran a hand through her hair. "No," she admitted with a sigh. "I don't…really know what to say." How did one start off a conversation like that? "What am I supposed to say? Something tells me that 'Hey, so you know how we wanted to kill Klaus? Well, we sort of found a way, but you sort of have to die along with him,' isn't going to cut it."

One side of his mouth quirked up in amusement. "I can certainly imagine your Salvatore's reaction to that," he murmured.

She shook her head. "It isn't like that with them," she denied softly.

"I must have been mistaken when my brother and I had dinner with Stefan and Damon," he told her pointedly.

"Things have been over between me and Stefan for a while," she admitted sadly. She did miss Stefan, and she did feel robbed over the way things ended between them. But it was what Stefan wanted, she would respect it. "And Damon is…Damon," she ended with a sigh. Whatever her relationship with Damon had been, it had always been more complicated than anything.

He could only arch a single eyebrow in response. "Whatever he may be, he cares very deeply for you. Despite whatever current development you find yourself in with them, they both do," he observed wisely.

"And I still care for them," she admitted. "After the things that I've experienced with them, it would be hard not to." Despite everything, they'd both risked so much for her.

Elijah stepped closer to her, completely ignoring her personal bubble. "What were you and Bonnie really discussing when my siblings and I happened upon you?" He inquired then.

She should have known that he would have been curious! Klaus may not have believed them either, but he didn't appear to care enough about it to ask further. They didn't hear anything else, did they? He would have said something if he had…wouldn't he? Or, maybe he was just a gentleman and didn't want to reveal what he'd overheard?

"Elena?" He called her name expectantly. He picked up on her accelerated heartbeat.

She shook her head. "We were discussing my desire to move on," Elena excused. She supposed it was true enough.

"Really?" He asked, not quite believing it. He'd witnessed firsthand the relationships she'd shared with both of them. Even if she was serious about her mention to move on, he doubted they'd let her. Stefan and Damon were amazing when it came to giving guilt trips, and he knew that Elena would fall for it.

His thoughts turned back to the night that she'd daggered him at her family's lake house. Before that, they come to an understanding, or he thought they had. However, she let Stefan and Damon talk her into taking action against him. They'd concocted the plan for her to stab herself and then him as he caught her, which they knew he would because he'd needed her alive when they met Klaus.

"I should have known better than to get involved with two brothers after I saw the way they were about Katherine," she admitted softly while shaking her head. "I didn't even intend to," she added. "But things got in the way and I…I don't want to be that person anymore, that girl in between two brothers."

"Something tells me that it's easier said than done," he denied.

"You don't believe me?" Elena asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Whether you want to move on, isn't the issue. The question is, will your Salvatore brothers allow you to?" He admitted without the least bit of guilt. "I know how they are with you, they can play you like a fiddle and you fold every single time."

She opened her mouth to deny his words. "No…" But even as she spoke the word, she knew she was wrong. "I…"

"Before the sacrifice I offered you the elixir I had made for Katherine that would return her life after Klaus got what he wanted from her. I couldn't guarantee that it would work, but you were willing to try. And instead of listening to you, to what you wanted, Damon went off half-cocked and force fed you his blood. I thought for sure that you never be able to forgive him for that, but you did." Hmm, perhaps if they looked at the situation that way, Damon was the reason why John was dead? He was the one that forced vampire blood on Elena. If he hadn't done that, then John would never have had to forfeit his life.

"Considering that Damon had sex with your sister, he's hardly in a position to tell me how to live my life. And Stefan chose not to resume our relationship when we had a chance."

"So it's not really a decision, it's a lack of option," he said, reading between the lines.

She shook her head. "No, I just think that now is a good time to make that decision. I don't have anything tying me to them, I have no previous engagements, and they have both clearly moved on. It's the perfect time for me to as well." She looked up, and met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Elena, I-"

"I can't believe you left me in there with the three of them," Bonnie huffed, opening the front door, completely unaware of the conversation she interrupted. "No offense Elijah, but your brother is hardly God's gift to women," she added, coming to stand with her friend.

Elijah easily stepped back from Elena, and looked to the witch in amusement. "Of all the things you said tonight, that is hardly the most insulting," he observed, thinking back on her initial and blasé reaction to the chance of his death.

Bonnie nodded. "And I am sorry for my earlier words," she replied. "Of all your siblings, you are the one I like most."

"Considering how much you detest the rest of them, I'm not sure how to take that," he told her with a pointed lift of his eyebrows.

She could only shrug in response.

"I spoke to Carrie, she has everything that she'll need, aside from you," Elijah said, casting a long glance at Bonnie. "But she did ask if there was a place that I knew of that consisted of strong magic."

Bonnie shook her head in negative. "No, but I can always give my mother a call for additional fire power…" She offered.

"So…are they just going to do the spell here?" Elena asked, frowning in confusion.

"Maybe it would be best to do it at my house?" Bonnie extended after a moment. "I know that Carrie already has everything she needs, but…just in case. Plus, my mother grew up in this house, my grandmother lived there for most of hers…that's got to count for something…"

"Fair enough," he surmised. "We should probably head out soon then."

Both young women nodded in agreement.

* * *

"So…it's just a waiting game now?" Caroline asked as a frown tugged at her mouth. When her friends called her and told her the events that had taken place, it was the last thing that she'd ever expected to hear.

Elena shrugged. "I guess…"

"We weren't given the location as to where they were going to have the confrontation," Bonnie chimed in. "All I know is that I can't stand this feeling, this helplessness."

_Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to suggest they go to her house… The thought taunted her as the Originals stood before her. She didn't necessarily so much worry about Elijah and Rebekah having access to the Bennett residence; no, her concern was mostly for Klaus and Kol. She didn't care for either of them. She may not have known Kol the way she did Klaus, but there was something in his eyes that was disconcerting for her. The way he looked at her was just…unsettling. It wasn't so much that he was attempting to look through her as…attempting to undress her with his eyes. _

"_Are you going to invite us in, love?" Klaus asked, smirking at the witch before him, as if sensing her thoughts. _

"_I hope you realize that as soon as I get my powers back, I'm setting up a de-invitation spell," Bonnie replied quickly, as she bid the vampires entry into the house and led them into the living room. _

"_We'd be surprised if you didn't," Rebekah replied with an all too friendly smile. _

"_I called Carrie on the way, she should be here soon," Elijah voiced, bring his sister back to the issue at hand. _

"_So…what's the plan tonight?" Elena asked from the corner of the room._

"_While Carrie is here, Rebekah and Kol are going to retrieve Finn from the mansion. Once Carrie has what she needs, we'll confront Esther. Now might be an excellent time to call your mother," Elijah instructed._

_As Bonnie turned away to call Abby, Elena spoke again. "How will you know where to find her?"_

_Kol shook his head. "She'll come to us when she realizes that we've daggered her precious son. Her last plan involved him playing the sacrificial lamb, and he can't do that if he's daggered."_

_Elena pursed her lips and cast a quick glance at Bonnie. "And I guess when you guys leave, we'll call the others." It would be easier to deal with the Salvatore brothers without the Original siblings in the general vicinity. _

Unable to help herself, Elena scoffed. "How do you think I feel all the time?"

"I didn't mean it like that," Bonnie denied. "It's just, I feel like a large part of myself is missing…and I feel helpless." It wasn't so much the fact that she wanted to help Elijah's siblings, but she did want to ensure that Caroline lived.

"And there's also the fact that my life is dependent on a group of people I hate…" Caroline trailed off, hating that she was unable to do anything. "So, if they fail, what happens to me? Do I just…cease to exist?" Would she just disappear? Would it be painful?

Elena shook her head. "I don't know, Elijah really didn't go into specifics. But look at it this way, your life is depending on two of the most selfish beings in existence," she said placing a comforting arm around Caroline's shoulders. "And we know that Klaus and Rebekah aren't going to down without a fight."

"There is that," the blonde grudgingly agreed. "Given the intensity of the situation, I'm surprised that Damon and Stefan aren't here raising hell."

"That's probably because I haven't called them…" Elena denied. She'd been putting it off. "At first I didn't know what to say, and I just know there's going to be arguing and blaming and I don't really feel like having to deal with that being directed towards me."

Caroline frowned, but was unable to deny her words. Stefan was the more level headed of the two brothers, but she was sure that there was some merit to Elena's words; more specifically, where Damon was concerned. He would have plenty to say. "None of this is your fault."

Elena nodded. "It doesn't mean that I won't be forced to listen to it."

Bonnie offered the doppelganger a pointed stare. "Or…we could always finish our conversation from earlier…"

Elena easily shook off the words. "This is hardly the time to discuss this."

The blonde looked between her friends. "What conversation?" The smirk on Bonnie's face was almost laughing and Elena's cheeks were beginning to turn an interesting shade of red. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Elena tried to excuse.

Caroline narrowed her eyes on her. "You do realize that I know when you're lying…" she pointed out. "Aside from the fact that I've known you for like ever, your heart starts to beat faster."

"Our friend has moved on from Stefan," Bonnie shared in a sing-song voice.

She turned and studied Elena. How could she have moved on? Despite everything, she always thought that Stefan would get over his issues and reunite with Elena. She'd always had a soft spot for Stefan and as far as she was concerned, there was no better guy for her friend. And…when did Elena have time to move on? It wasn't as if they had normal lives. Who could she have possi- "Please don't tell me it's Damon."

"I'm not with Damon."

"She's crushing on Elijah."

Caroline's head snapped towards Elena. "Seriously?" Her friend could only blush in response. "I mean, I get it, he's totally hot…but you do realize that nothing good can come from that, right? Not only is he a sort of enemy of both Stefan and Damon, but he's an Original…"

"He's not an enemy," Elena denied quickly.

"No, not in the way that Klaus is, but they certainly aren't on friendly terms," Caroline clarified. "Things could get all sorts of awkward, and family dinner will never be the same."

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here. I have a crush on him, I'm not about to confess my undying love." Though something told her that it wouldn't take much for her to get to that stage if they were to get together. "And who's to say that he will return the sentiment? And that's only if I tell him about my feelings," she added quickly as her phone started ringing. "Which I don't anticipate doing any time soon," Elena continued on, looking at the caller id.


	6. Chapter 6

Aria: Well, thank you. I'm glad to hear it. May I also say, I've read your story ideas and the things that you've provided, why don't you just write them yourself? As for the jealousy, it isn't addressed in this chapter. However, I am planning one last chapter, an epilogue and it do plan to deal with it then.

Eva: Because I don't care much for Bonnie, I know that I tend to write her OOC, but I was trying really hard in this story to keep her in character. Sometimes through my dislike of her, I forget how close she is/was with Elena. I will include more Elejah in this chapter, but not too much. I will address the jealousy and everything else in the next one (the epilogue).

Author's Note: So I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Still suffering from a cold, we received bad news about my mother in law. As I mentioned before, she was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer, but when she met with the oncologist, she was told that not only would she have to have radiation, but she was also told that if she didn't go through chemo (which we weren't expecting) then she wouldn't make it past ten years. Needless to say, writing wasn't the first thing on my mind for a few days.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

* * *

Chapter 5

As soon as Carrie and Abby finished the chant, the fire around them roared to life for a brief moment. The wind died, all sound disappeared and the light that surrounded the small area nearly blinded all in attendance. And just as quickly as the light appeared, it dissipated. The fire that surrounded the group dulled back to normal, the wind slowly returned and the sounds of night resumed. And when everyone turned their attention back on the spot where Esther had stood, there was nothing there.

"Did it work?" Rebekah asked, looking from Elijah to Klaus. Neither was willing to look away from the last spot that Esther stood.

Abby exhaled a deep breath. "It did," she said, sharing a smile with Carrie.

"That was rather…anticlimactic," Kol said, staring at the spot that Esther disappeared from.

"Were you expecting a light show?" Carrie asked him, feeling a slight tingle of amusement in his question.

He shrugged in response. "I'm not sure what I suspected, but something…"

"More?" She supplied for him, watching as he nodded along in agreement. "Next time I perform magic for you, I'll make sure to put a little extra oomph in it."

Wanting to believe that the situation was taken care of, but still completely skeptical, Klaus turned to the witches; more specifically, Carrie. "So it's done then?"

She nodded. "Esther has returned to the other side."

"And she'll stay there?"

"I believe so," Carrie replied once again. "My friends have done all that they can. And even if Esther does concoct a plan to return, it will be years before it is even feasible. The power used against her was too great."

"What about trying to reach us through the other side?" Elijah asked then. "She was able to use others to do her bidding before she could return."

Abby shook her head then. "When Carrie took Bonnie's powers it severed her tie. And with the magic we performed, we were able to interrupt the power she was channeling from the other side as well. Her powers were considerably weakened. Even if she wanted to do something, she would be unable to."

Rebekah turned back to the spot where her mother last stood. Tears welled in her eyes and she found herself unable to look away. Even after her mother tried to kill them, her, she found herself mourning the loss; mourning the chance of a new beginning with Esther.

Elijah approached his sister and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I know it's stupid," she confessed, still not turning away from the spot that held her attention. "I'm at war with myself. I…she tried to kill us, and I know I should be angry, but…"

His hold tightened on her. "She was your mother," he supplied for her when she seemed unable to finish her sentence. He would never be able to think on Esther as his mother again, not after the events of that night. However, he didn't blame Rebekah for feeling that way.

"I wanted things to be different. I wanted her back and I wanted to believe her when she said she wanted to be with us," she admitted in a soft voice.

"And there's no shame in that," he instantly argued. "Of course you wanted her back. And she knew that and she played on your feelings." Esther had played all of them.

Rebekah finally turned into his embrace. "What are we going to do now?"

"We return to our lives," Klaus answered from a few feet away.

"Here's a question for you," Kol spoke up then. "What are we going to do with Finn?" He looked from one sibling to the next, his eyes settling on Klaus.

"Leave that traitor daggered," they hybrid mumbled darkly.

* * *

"I can't believe that all of that happened and you didn't call us!" Damon raved as he paced around Bonnie's living room. He steadied his accusing glare on Elena. "After everything that we've been through, we should have been the first people you called."

Stefan wasn't nearly as vocal about his displeasure over the situation, but it was still apparent.

Caroline, having had enough of Damon's accusations jumped up from her spot. "And what were you going to do about it? It was their fight and they took care of things."

"But it wasn't just about them," Stefan spoke then.

Damon nodded. "We had every right to know what was going on."

"What? You think that you're so amazing that they couldn't have gotten through this without you? That you're some valuable player in all of this?" Bonnie asked then. "They've been alive for a thousand years. I think it's safe to say that they have the survival thing down."

"Have the three of you lost your minds?" Damon demanded then. "This is Klaus and Elijah we're talking about. For all we know, the whole thing is a lie!"

Elena shook her head. "You didn't see Elijah before they left," she denied. "It was genuine."

Bonnie nodded slowly. "I didn't believe it at first either, but…I wasn't about to let Caroline die in effort to call their bluff. Their plan must have worked because the three of you are still here."

"Unbelievable!" Damon threw his hands in the air. "Your turn to reason with them," he ordered his brother as he walked out the door.

"After everything we've been through because of them…"

His words were almost accusing and Elena felt herself bristle.

"After everything they've done to us, and you willingly help them. And Bonnie giving up her powers for the sake of rescuing them? Damon wasn't far off the mark when he asked if you all lost your minds." Bonnie would have never helped them, and Elena would have turned to him first. What the hell happened and when did that shift occur?

"I'm not going to apologize for helping them the night of the ball," Elena denied. "Yes, life would be much less complicated if Klaus was out of the way, but they didn't all deserve to die for us to be rid of him."

"They're the bad guys, Elena!" When had she changed her mind? When had she grown a conscience? She'd daggered both Elijah and Rebekah in the past, why did she all of a sudden care what happened to them now?

She ignored his words. "And given this recent revelation that everyone spawned from their bloodlines dies if they do, it's a good thing I didn't. Because you, Caroline and Damon would be dead."

He shook his head. "You don't know that that's true."

"And you don't know that it isn't," she instantly countered. "I did what I thought was right, and I'm not going to apologize for it."

"Then we have nothing more to say, do we?" Stefan retorted as he turned towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Why do you care?" He asked, not turning around. "You've made your allegiance known."

Caroline came to stand with Elena. "This is not about us vs. them," the blonde denied. "Damon's going to go off and do something stupid and he's going to get himself killed. And if you follow along with him…"

Elena rushed to catch up to Stefan. "They won't hesitate to kill you if you threaten them," she told him as she grasped his arm in effort to stop him. "Please, Stefan." Elijah and his siblings were willing to go against the woman that gave birth to them, they wouldn't resist in cutting Damon or Stefan down.

He shook off her hands. "You've made your stance perfectly clear on which side you're on. And now I'm making my choice." He'd lost so many things because of Klaus, he wouldn't just walk away from it; he couldn't. The door slammed behind him as he left the vampire, witch and doppelganger behind him.

Bonnie, coming to stand on Elena's other side placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The worry that her friend felt was palpable. "They're not going to do anything tonight, Elena," she attempted to assure her friend.

Elena nodded once, though the words didn't offer much comfort. She was worried. And though Elijah and his siblings had proved that they were resilient against one threat after another, she couldn't help but worry for him. And there was the sound knowledge that none of them would hesitate to kill Damon or Stefan.

"They have nothing to use against them. There are no white oak trees anywhere near here," Caroline chimed in. "And even if there were, not even Damon is willing to bet his life. He'll find out who he's spawned from before he makes a move."

"Whatever he decides to do, we have time," Bonnie tacked on.

* * *

As soon as the Originals and veteran witches pulled up, Caroline disappeared, not in the mood to deal with Klaus. Her thought process was that whatever they'd done must have worked or they wouldn't have returned in the first place.

Elena and Bonnie waited for the others to file in. As soon as Abby entered the house, Bonnie rushed towards her mother. Klaus and Rebekah each claimed a seat on the couch, neither saying much of anything as Kol made his way towards Elena. And even as she stood with her companion, part of her attention fell to Elijah, who had fallen to the back of the group with Carrie.

"That was as much fun as possible without being any fun at all…" Kol trailed off, pursing his lips.

Elena frowned at him. "That's a rather cavalier way of looking at things," she observed pointedly.

He replied with a weary sigh. Running a hand through his hair, he grimaced. "Would you rather I cry about it?" He responded.

She shook her head. "I…" she trailed off. "I can't imagine what it is you're going through."

"Then why are you even speaking?" Rebekah demanded from the couch, glaring at the brunette. After the night she'd had, she didn't want to deal with false apologies and pity, and she certainly didn't want to deal with it from Elena of all people.

Elena frowned at her. "Because I know what it's like to lose a mother, to have lost both parents," she excused. "Maybe not in the same manner that you've lost both of yours, but I do understand. You have my condolences and apologies," she told Kol before turning back to his sister. "And if you would like to talk…my door is open."

"Yeah, sure, I'll keep that in mind," Rebekah excused with a false sense of cheer.

Elena nodded. "If you change your mind…"

The blonde shook her head in negative. "Don't hold your breath," she muttered.

Elena knew that her offer would be tossed back in her face before she even extended it. There was simply too much bad blood between them. From the moment Rebekah arrived, there'd always been tension between them. And the one and only time that the blonde had offered an olive branch, she'd stabbed her in the back…literally. No, there was no easy way to come back from that.

"Why are we even here?" Rebekah asked, turning to face Klaus. "We don't need to be here for this," she gestured to Bonnie, alluding to the fact they still needed to transfer her powers back. "Elijah drove himself, he can meet us at home later."

Klaus paused momentarily as he studied his sister. Even aside from all of their arguments, he'd always been closer to Rebekah than the rest of his siblings, and she'd remained loyal to him until the 1920's; and he knew her better than anyone. And she was close to losing it. The control that she had over her emotions was barely hanging by a thread and he knew that he needed to get her away from everyone. "You ready, Kol? Or would you prefer to hang around with Elijah? Either way, I'm taking her home."

Kol turned his attention to Rebekah.

"He'll go with you," Elijah answered before Kol could say anything.

The youngest Mikaelson brother turned to Elijah with a dark expression on his face. He hadn't intended to follow Klaus and Rebekah. Aside from the fact that he'd agreed to help their mother kill them; he'd hazard a guess that Finn managed to get on better with both Klaus and Rebekah. Kol didn't know what it was, but of all his siblings, he tended to argue most with Klaus and Rebekah. Then again, most of his siblings fought with Klaus…

"Thanks, brother," Kol muttered. He turned to face Elena, cheering up slightly. "By the way, Elena, thank you for accompanying me to dinner last night, I really enjoyed it." Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her cheek, letting his lips linger longer than he should have.

Rebekah, scoffed and threw her hands in the air. "Unbelievable!" What was it about the men in her family and the damned Petrovas?!

Her cheeks burned in embarrassment and Elena's eyes fell to Elijah. She couldn't ever remember seeing such a fierce expression on his face, and her stomach clenched in response.

Bonnie's eyes widened and her attention turned to the brunette. What? "What does he mean, Elena?" Bonnie asked her friend, forcing her attention away from the Original. Elena had just mentioned having a crush on Elijah, what was she doing going out with Kol?

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me to my door," Elena insisted as they stopped in front of the front door of the Gilbert residence.

"I know," Elijah nodded. "I…"

"Don't want to go home?" She asked pointedly. It would almost be amusing, if it weren't for the events that occurred that night. She took a moment to study him. They had yet to really speak about anything. They'd each remained silent in reflective thoughts about their evening.

"What?" He asked, wondering what she was thinking about.

Instead of replying verbally, she shook her head. Stepping closer to him, she slipped her hands between his arms and waist and locked her arms around his back. For the briefest moment, he tensed. But just as suddenly, his body seemed to sag against hers. Settling her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and breathed in his sent.

He had never been an overly affectionate person, none of his siblings were. They just weren't raised that way. Even amongst his siblings, he had never been overly affectionate, so when it came to members of the opposite sex, he kept things to the bedroom. And while he and Elena had shared slight touches in the past, he hadn't been prepared to feel her body against his. He paused, enveloped in her embrace.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"Sometimes you just need a hug," Elena replied, shrugging against him.

He found himself melting even further into her embrace. His arms immediately raised and he folded her into his body.

"I'm so sorry, Elijah," she murmured the apology against him. "I hate that you had to go through this." Neither was eager to pull away from the other, and she was content to remain where she was for as long as he would have her.

The fact of the matter was, he'd already grieved for his mother a thousand years earlier. He was numb, more than anything. Unlike his sister, he hadn't let himself get close to Esther upon her arrival in Mystic Falls. He wasn't grieving for her, and he didn't think that he would. "Thank you, Elena." His arms tightened around her. "And thank you for extending an offer to talk to my sister. I know she can be abrasive, but the offer means more than you know." He couldn't say that Rebekah would take Elena up on her offer, but it meant something to him.

"I don't think she'll take me up on it…"

He chuckled. "No, probably not. But you made it, and like I said, that means something."

"This was all my fault," she said sadly. "I never should have given Esther my blood."

He disconnected himself from her. Elena's head was tilting down, and the guilt so clearly displayed in her features spoke of her regret. Tipping her chin up, he forced her to meet his gaze. "No, you shouldn't have," Elijah agreed with her. "That being said, if that hadn't happened, my siblings and I would have remained none the wiser to her plans," he admitted quietly. "Just promise me that you won't act so hasty from here on out."

She nodded easily. "I promise. And while I'm promising to speak the truth, there's probably something I should tell you." Turning back towards her door, she unlocked it. "It might take a moment, if you want to come in…" She left the invitation open, knowing that he was needed at the mansion.

"I…" She'd been correct in her assumption that he didn't want to return home. "What did you desire to tell me?" He asked, following her inside.

"When I spoke to Damon and Stefan, it didn't go very well," she confessed as she worried her bottom lip.

He felt the brief desire to bang his head against the wall. Of course it wouldn't go well. He wasn't sure why he expected it would. "What happened?"

"I don't think they fully believe that they're tied to one of you."

"Are they going to make a move against my siblings or me?" She hesitated to answer him. "Elena, are they going to do something?"

"I don't know," she confessed after a moment. Damon and Stefan obviously felt that she'd gone against them. And if they didn't trust her, they wouldn't say anything concrete, not trusting her not to say something.

He shook his head. "Do you think they will?"

"I think Damon would," she admitted finally and watched him nod. "But despite the fact that he doesn't want to believe that all vampires are tied to you guys; he'll attempt to find out exactly who he's spawned from before he makes a move." She watched him process her words. "I don't know what that means for time, but he can be pretty resourceful when he wants to be."

* * *

Truth be told, he hadn't wanted to leave Elena's. However, her information about her Salvatore brothers bothered him. He didn't care for either on a good day, and to discover that they may or may not try to make a move against his siblings angered him. Yes, he supposed that the closeness that once existed between himself and Klaus would never fully be restored to what it once was, but Klaus was his brother. They no one else. It was up to him, as the eldest, to protect his siblings; even if he didn't always agree with them.

He also knew that after the night they had, the last thing he needed to do was share the knowledge with Klaus, Kol and Rebekah. He was sure that if he did, none of them would hesitate to make a move against either of them; despite whatever residual feelings that Rebekah had for Stefan. No, he'd take care of the matter himself. And he'd be much nicer than his siblings, he'd give them a warning first, and a chance to change their minds.

When Elijah pulled up to the boarding house, the first thing that he noticed was that the lights were on. Even if Stefan and Damon wanted to avoid him, they'd be unable to. He casually strolled up to the door and knocked on it before adjusting his jacket.

"Ah, there he is…our savior…" Damon muttered, throwing it open.

Elijah arched an eyebrow at him. "You're welcome, by the way," he returned. "If my siblings hadn't made a move, you and your brother would probably be dead," he reminded the ungrateful vampire, stepping past him. If it was anyone else, he would have waited for an invitation before letting himself in, but Damon deserved no such courtesy.

Drink in hand, Damon chuckled. Tossing back the remainder of his glass, he shook his head. "Please, come in," he murmured darkly.

Elijah closed the door behind him.

"I don't know what you said to get them on your side, but I don't believe you for a minute," Damon began.

"I simply told them the truth. And if you're still unsure about it, we can afford you proof. At this point in time, my brother is ready to let Finn die, so you can watch hundreds of vampires just disappear around the world."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "Uh huh…" he trailed off, still skeptical. "You know, I always knew that Elena's bleeding heart would get her in to trouble." She should have known better than to get close to Elijah and his siblings.

Elijah shook his head. "It's called compassion, and it's going a long way," he returned in a bored tone. "I dare say that if she continues on this route, she'll endear herself enough to Klaus and her life won't be endangered any longer."

"You stay away from Elena," Damon ordered, his eyes flashing in anger. "The stupidest thing she could have done was align herself to you and your family. One day, it's going to get her killed." Why was Elena so resistant upon realizing that? When had his influence over her slipped? She hadn't even listened to Stefan after he'd left that night. When had that changed? And more importantly, why?

"It's sweet, this…" he waved his hand in the air for added affect, "knight and shining armor complex you have for her," he finished drolly. "I understand it."

"Yeah, I'll bet you do," the younger vampire returned. He'd seen the way that Elijah looked to Elena, even if she was blind. Elijah had always looked on Elena with a certain fondness that bothered him, but the intensity of it had grown exponentially in the past weeks.

"But I'm the last person you need to worry about where Elena is concerned," he continued on, as if he hadn't heard a word that Damon said. "And last I checked, she was old enough to choose her companions," Elijah added with an air of finality. "I did not come here to speak on Elena," he added swiftly. "A matter of importance has come to my attention, and I came to reason with you."

Damon pursed his lips then. "She told you about tonight."

The Original nodded. "She did. And I'm here to persuade you to change your mind."

"What? Afraid that I'll find something out and be able to finally make a move against you and your family?" Damon challenged.

The arrogance! Oh, he'd take care of that. "It will be a cold day in hell before my siblings or I are afraid of you, Mr. Salvatore." Advancing on the younger vampire, he grabbed his neck. "Fate has thrown us into each other's path for one reason or another, and I could care less what happens to you or your brother. I am here because of Elena. For whatever reason, she still holds the two of you in regard, so I give you this one warning. Whatever plan you have devised will not work. If you so intend to find out who it is you are spawned from, my siblings will ensure that you never do." They'd kill every last vampire that knew the truth before they let Damon or Stefan learn the truth. "Now, before you get innocent people and vampires killed, I suggest you find something more productive to do with your time." He knew he could have compelled the vampire in his grasp, but he didn't want to. He hoped that for once, Damon would use his mind and make the right decision.

"Does Elena know that you're here threatening me?" Damon taunted. "I bet if she did, she wouldn't be so happy to follow you…"

Letting his anger get the best of him, Elijah snapped his neck and watched carelessly as Damon dropped to the ground. "I trust that you were witness to our conversation," he began casually, turning to find Stefan standing under the archway of the room.

Stefan dragged his gaze from his brother and offered the Original a barely perceptive nod of his head.

"You and I may not always get along, but I feel that you will heed my words far better than your brother ever could. This is your one and only warning, Stefan. If you or your brother make a move against us, I will kill you."

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly control Damon's decisions."

"Then I suggest you figure something out," the Original replied easily. He didn't care what happened to Damon, so long as he didn't have to deal with him any longer. "I came here out of the goodness of my heart to extend a warning-"

"You broke his neck!" Stefan interrupted.

"He pissed me off," Elijah retorted, his annoyance with the elder Salvatore was still palpable. "You better take the time to check him. If he makes a move against my siblings, I won't hesitate kill him, as you have already seen…" Without another word, he turned back to the door. "I don't care what you have to do, leave Mystic Falls, tie him up…I believe you know me to be a man of my word," he cautioned one last time as he turned and disappeared into the night.

* * *

AN: So I know I didn't actually write the scene against Esther. I have never felt comfortable writing fighting scenes and magic. It just isn't one of my strengths, so I hope that no one was too disappointed by it. I was more worried about tying things up in this chapter. Next chapter will be the epilogue, where there should be plenty of Elejah goodness.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.

Aria: I really enjoyed writing the Kolena scenes and I'm glad you liked it.

Eva: As I told you in my PM, I didn't remember Damon saying that, but it seemed fitting.

JMHUW: I really tried to keep it so. I'm not the biggest fan of Bonnie and that I often reflected in my stories.

Jamie: You finally caught up. So I'm going to try not to make my response too long, but there were a couple things I wanted to say. First of all, thanks for taking the time to leave such drawn out reviews, I know it must have taken up a large chunk of your time. I really enjoyed writing the Kolena scenes, I don't know why it took me so long to get around to writing it. No, I don't remember Katherine saying that about Klaus. I'm glad I didn't disappoint with the Bonnie thing. I don't like her and I tend to villainize her a bit in my stories, so I give myself a gold star for not doing that here. Thank you for the compliment on Klaus, he's a difficult one. I was always so concerned about getting Damon's character more in character that I forget about the other Salvatore brother.

Guest: Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to review.

Author's Note: So this is the last chapter. I apologize ahead of time, it's a little long, but there is so much that I felt that I needed to wrap up. I hope I don't disappoint anyone, as I know you guys have been waiting weeks for this chapter. Thank you guys for the reviews and the favorites and alerts. I'm glad this story was received well.

* * *

Epilogue

"So, tell me, darling, what depraved activities does my brother have planned for the two of you this weekend?" Kol asked, waggling his brows as he met Elena in the parking lot of the high school.

"Okay, first of all, stop calling me 'darling,' you know Elijah hates that," she listed.

"Of course I know it, why do you think I do it?" He retorted, as if speaking to a slow person. "Just like I make sure to kiss you whenever he's around," he added.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know that one of these days your brother is going to act against you and I'm not going to do a thing to stop him, right?" She warned.

"Of course you would," he snorted. "After all, I'm the main reason that the two of you are together." He watched her arch an eyebrow at him, a response that was reminiscent of something Elijah had done on multiple occasions.

She scoffed in response to his words. "Oh, really?"

"Do you really think that my brother would have made a move if I hadn't prompted it?" He returned easily.

_Stepping into the restaurant, Kol paused by the front door. His eyes immediately fell on Elena, sitting solo at a small table. It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone eat alone, but when he noticed her friends across the room at a table, he frowned. Without any hesitation, he made his way towards her. "Something isn't right with this picture…"_

_Snorting into her cup of soda, Elena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well…it doesn't feel right either," she mumbled. Picking up a French fry, she dipped it in ranch before staring at it with disdain. Tossing it back down on her plate, she wiped her hands. "Needless to say, things haven't exactly gone back to normal."_

"_What's their problem?" He asked, his head tilting in the general direction of Stefan and Damon. _

_She shook her head. "I don't know what Elijah said to Damon and Stefan, but it worked. Stefan won't even look in my general direction and Damon does nothing but give me dirty looks and snide remarks. Bonnie and Caroline are a little more understanding, but…" She trailed off with a sigh. _

"_They aren't happy," he deduced. _

_She shook her head in negative. "They don't understand," she whispered. Actually, that was putting it lightly. "Bonnie helped you guys because of Caroline, but if Caroline had never been threatened, she never would have considered it." She would have washed her hands of the Originals and tossed out a cheerful 'good riddance' as she did so. "And considering Klaus' preoccupation with Caroline, she doesn't understand…"_

"_The feelings you have for Elijah," he finished. He watched the brunette look away from him, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your feelings," he observed cautiously. _

_She immediately shook her head in denial. "I'm not ashamed."_

"_I gather that my brother is quite a catch," he airily tacked on. Once again, her face flamed in embarrassment and he chuckled. "You are too easy."_

"_Why are you here?" Elena asked, not liking the fact that he was finding enjoyment at her expense. _

_He placed an arm around her shoulders and moved much closer to her. "Well, we all need companionship every once in a while."_

_She attempted to fight his arm from her body. "And you're touching me, why?"_

"_Because I'm enjoying the looks that your boyfriends are giving me," he said, chuckling as he nodded his head towards Stefan and Damon. "Come on, I'll take you home." _

_She refused to look over at the Salvatore, not the least bit interested in a pair of dirty looks. "I drove myself," she denied quietly. _

"_Okay, so I'll join you in your car," he offered. "You can't tell me that the idea of leaving together doesn't sound the least bit appealing. Not only am I charming and handsome and-"_

"_And modest…" she added. _

"_Your friends won't like it one bit," he finished off, as if he hadn't heard her words. _

"_You know, it's okay to not be antagonistic," she denied. However, she found herself paying for her meal and following him out the door. If these were under normal circumstances, she never would have left with him, she never would have dared turn her back on Stefan or Damon; but she found herself uncaring about their reaction. She was tired of the cold shoulder from them._

_Stepping into the chilly air, she stopped short at the sight before her. Leaning against her car as if he belonged there, Elijah was the perfect picture of casualness; barring the suite. Her companion was forgotten as she looked at the eldest Original. "You're back."_

_He nodded once. His eyes flittered to the closeness between Kol and Elena; hardening for a moment before he schooled his features into neutrality. "I am." _

"_And did you take care of everything that you needed to?" Elena asked as she approached him. When Elijah informed her that he would be out of town, wrapping up some business, he left without an estimated return date. _

"_More or less. I…don't anticipate having to leave Mystic Falls anytime soon." _

_Kol looked between the pair and rolled his eyes. "Well, since I've suddenly become invisible, I think I'll make myself scarce," he excused. _

_Realizing that she'd been staring, Elena tore her eyes from Elijah. "You don't ha-" She began, only to be cut off. _

"_Yes, please do, Kol," Elijah returned in a firm tone of voice, making sure that his tone of voice was louder than Elena's. _

"_See, darling, I know when I'm not wanted," Kol replied with a mock pout playing around his mouth. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Elena." Smirking over at his brother, he leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before she even realized he moved. He watched in complete amusement as his brother bristled and without another word, he disappeared from sight. _

_Elena turned in the direction that Kol left in. "I don't know why he keeps doing that," she tried to excuse. Didn't he realize that he made her uncomfortable? She knew that his actions were more friendly and playful than anything, but she'd never been so affectionate with any of her guy friends in such a way._

"_He does it because it bothers me."_

_His voice was casual and smooth and it caused her heart to beat faster. She tilted her head up towards him. "Oh, it does, does it?"_

_Instead of commenting more on it, he pushed off her car. "Would you care to take a walk with me?" He offered, holding out his arm._

_She didn't hesitate to lace her arm through his. "I'm glad you're back," she voiced after a moment of silence. She wouldn't say it was an uncomfortable silence, but she wasn't sure how to start the conversation. There was so much that she wanted to say, that they needed to discuss, but she didn't know how to approach the subject._

_He didn't reply verbally to her admission. Instead, he placed his free hand over the arm she had looped through his. "How were things while I was away?"_

"_They've been…weird," she confessed after a pause. "Your sister ended up dropping by last Friday."_

_Elijah nodded along with her revelation. "Yes, she told me. I don't think that she'll be extolling your virtues anytime soon, but I don't think you'll have any further issues with her."_

_Elena giggled over his choice of words. _

"_And your friends, how are they?" _

"_My friends?" She repeated. "Or do you mean Stefan and Damon?"_

_He considered her question. "Both," he admitted after a moment. Yes, his main concern was Damon, but he was genuinely curious about how Elena's friends were. Bonnie and Caroline had really come through for them, and he'd known how resistant the witch was in the beginning. He hoped that it hadn't left Elena in an awkward position. _

"_Damon and Stefan haven't spoken to me, if that's what you're wondering," she allowed with a heavy sigh. "If they're planning anything, they're not saying a word to me."_

_He pulled her to a stop. "I'm sorry, Elena. I hate that this has placed you at odds with them. I know how much they mean to you." He didn't agree with the closeness, but he understood it. _

_She offered him a forced smile. "I…it is difficult. I…Stefan was such an important part of my life...I mean…they both were," she clarified. "After the things that we went through, I imagine that it was only natural that I grow so close to them. And…Stefan…" she sighed. "I really loved him. I think a part of me always will, but we were different people back then. So much has happened since then, I'm not the same person and neither is he." It had taken her months to come to that realization. "I wasn't happy with the way things ended between us, I felt robbed. But I finally understand Stefan's decision."_

"_I still feel responsible for the distance between you two," Elijah denied. During her speech, he listened with bated breath as she spoke on her realization and her feelings for Stefan. Her words left him hoping for something he'd scarcely believed was possible. _

"_But you aren't," she denied. "We are, Stefan and I," Elena clarified. "Yes, I loved him and I mourned the loss of him, I know that it's time for me to move on."_

"And eww, did you just inquire about my bedroom activities with him?"

"I'm not exactly asking for a play by play," he denied.

"Good, because it'd be awkward if you were," Elena countered. "As for any plans, you'd have to ask him." Elijah said he had plans for them, but other than that, he was remaining hush, hush. "I'm waiting for Rebekah to meet me and she's going to help me get ready."

* * *

Holding up two different dresses, Elena stood before her floor length mirror. Holding one against her, she tilted her head as she considered it how she'd look in it, sans the pants and perhaps a change of her hair style. Pulling it away, she repeated the action with the second dress.

"I think you should go with the red one…" her companion offered without having to be asked.

Once again, Elena trained a critical eye on her reflected self as she held up the red dress. "I don't know…" she hedged. "Red is usually Caroline's color," the brunette denied after a moment.

"It isn't as if she has the market cornered or anything," her companion grumbled. "If you want to wear a red dress, you should be able to."

"It isn't that," she instantly denied. "It's just, she tends to look better in that color than I do."

"Maybe you have just been buying the wrong styles?" Was the sarcastic response. When Elena just shrugged her shoulders, she continued. "Don't worry, we'll fix that soon enough."

"Yeah, I'll bet…"

_Her extended offer to Rebekah had been made in complete earnestness. And she hadn't done it to win points with anyone, or in an attempt to get on her good side. She'd genuinely wanted to help the blonde if at all possible. And though it had been weeks since she'd last spoken to Rebekah, she had seen her in passing at school. And she'd also taken notice of the fact that Rebekah studiously avoided looking in her general direction. _

_Two weeks after the Mikaelson siblings faced off against Esther, she'd been home alone. Things between herself and the Salvatore brothers were…awkward at best and tense at worst. Neither was willing to give an inch where Elijah and his siblings were concerned. And though Bonnie had grudgingly helped them, she and Caroline weren't inclined to socialize with them either. _

_And for the first time in a long time, Elena found herself separated from her friends. It wasn't the first time that she had fought with any of them, but it was the first time that she hadn't had anyone to turn to. And though the slight distance between herself and Caroline and Bonnie wasn't the result of a discord, they were still uneasy about her friendship with Elijah and what that may mean with her relationships with his siblings; more importantly, Klaus. _

_It was Friday night, and instead of attending a party or hanging out with her friends, she was curled up on her couch alone. Her hair was twisted up on the top of her head and she wore an old pair of sweat pants and an equally battered shirt. The last thing she expected was to hear a knock at the front door. _

_Pausing her movie, Elena moved to answer the door with caution. She knew that if someone meant her harm, they wouldn't have knocked on the door. No, her hesitance came in the fact that she looked so disorganized. Being on the sort of outs with her friends, she knew it wasn't any of them and Elijah was out of town. At least she thought he was still out. Hmm, had he come back early? Opening her door, the last thing she expected to see was the sniveling mess in front of her. _

"_Rebekah…" she trailed off, clearing her throat. _

"_You said that if I wanted to talk you would be there," the blonde started. "And I wanted to."_

_Holding back the surprise that she'd felt, she nodded quickly. "Of course. Come in," she said, holding the door wider for the female Original._

In the months since her first visit, her friendship with Elijah's sister had steadily grown. And through their friendship, the blonde had also grown somewhat closer to Caroline and Bonnie; though she clearly preferred to spend more time with Elena. The tension that once existed slowly died, and for the first time, Rebekah was able to move on from her preoccupation with Stefan.

"Are you nervous?" Rebekah asked, lounging across Elena's bed. She flipped through the magazine in front of her, casting a critical eye on the fashion trends in it.

"You mean about dying?" Elena responded. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You know you won't actually be dying, right?"

"I know," Elena tried to play off. "I know I'm not scared, but the whole not knowing thing…you know?" She asked. "I keep having these thoughts that things will go wrong," she confessed after a pause. She trusted Elijah with everything, but what if something happened before they finished?

Rebekah snorted. "Yeah, my brother would lay down his life before he let something happen to you."

Rebekah was right about that, Elijah had said as much. "This is so not how I imagined my life turning out," she sighed. "The rest of the kids in our class are getting ready to go off to college and I'm preparing to let my boyfriend kill me." She, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Rebekah had graduated the previous month and Elena was becoming increasingly aware that time was coming to an end.

The vampire frowned. "Elijah told you that he was more than willing to give you more time," she reminded her, not unkindly.

When Elijah told her that he wanted her forever, there'd been no argument on her end. However, the closer the time came to actually dying, the more she began to worry that she'd been too hasty in her agreement.

Her relationship with Elijah had become so much more than she ever figured it would be. It didn't matter that she was only eighteen years old. She'd been very lucky when it came to romance and love. And as much as she had loved both Matt and Stefan when she'd been with them, neither relationship compared to the one she shared with Elijah. When the supernatural bombarded her life, she hadn't planned to transition into a vampire, even after her relationship with Stefan grew. Yet, she found herself agreeing to it when Elijah mentioned it to her for the first time.

"I just…what if I have trouble adjusting?" Elena asked after a pause. It was a subject that she had yet to approach with Elijah.

Rebekah appeared to be amused by the question. "You…have difficulty adjusting?" The idea seemed like a foreign one. "Elena, when vampires were first introduced into your life did you run away screaming?"

"No," she answered in a small voice. "But then it wasn't your typical introduction," she tried to excuse.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that is an everyday, common occurrence…" she scoffed. "You didn't run away screaming then, and you did what you could to support Caroline after her change. What makes you think that you're going to have issues?"

Elena could only shrug. "I just keep having this bad feeling, and I can't shake it. Though I'm sure it's nothing more than my overactive imagination," she tried to excuse.

"You should talk to my brother about this," she cautioned the brunette. "I'm sure that Elijah could assuage your worries better than anyone else."

"Talk to me about what?"

"Speak of the devil…" Rebekah trailed off. She tried to greet Elijah, but his attention was focused on Elena. She rolled her eyes at the pair of them. "Okay, I'm leaving now…not that either of you care." Elijah was already giving Elena his patented 'bedroom eyes' and she wrinkled her nose at the thought. It didn't matter how many centuries they'd lived, the idea of 'sex' and her 'brothers' in the same sentence just didn't set well with her.

The couple replied with half-hearted goodbyes, but their attention remained trained on one another.

Elijah waited until he heard the front door open and close before he moved closer to Elena. Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he kissed her senseless. He felt her knees start to tremble and he immediately moved to catch her. Never breaking the kiss, his hands moved to her hips and he lifted her against him. Walking her towards her bed, he gently lay her down before he moved over her.

"What was Rebekah talking about?" He asked as he trialed kisses down her neck.

"I…oh…my change…" She stumbled through her words, sighing in response to his actions.

Her words immediately pulled at his attention and he disconnected his mouth from hers. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

"I…" Her eyes met his. And though her words refused to come out, she was sure the truth of her emotions was written on her face and in her gaze.

"Elena…" he trailed off quietly. He couldn't say that he was disappointed, after all, she was willing to give up her life for him; but he couldn't deny the flash of panic he felt. She hadn't changed her mind completely, had she?

"I…this is all just happening so fast," she said with sadness tinging in voice. "I thought I was ready, but then I see these kids that I went to school with, and they're going off to college, and I won't be able to do that."

He frowned. "Of course you can. You can go as many times as you like," Elijah told her after a moment.

"I…I know, I have the rest of forever to," realistically, she knew that. However, she also had the feeling that once she gave up her mortality, her priorities would change. She was afraid that she was going to miss out on something. "I just…" she shook her head. "It isn't like what happened with you," she denied after a moment. "And I know that sounds callous, and I don't mean to sound that way. Your life was torn from you, and it wasn't fair. You adjusted because you were forced to, Caroline was forced to move on. But…I have this option, and I'm afraid that I'm going to miss out on something." Leaning up, she kissed him. "I meant it when I said that I would spend my forever with you. But would you mind terribly if I put it off for just a little bit longer?"

"I…of course not," he said, hesitating slightly.

Her head fell back against her pillow, her eyes staring into his. "I've disappointed you…" she observed.

He smiled quickly and shook his head. "I'm disappointed because there is so much I wanted to share with you, but I can wait." When she looked away from him, he gently pinched her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. "I could never be disappointed with you, Elena. But that's not all, is it?"

She shook her head. "I have been having this feeling that something's going to happen."

Her confession left him feeling slightly alarmed. Elena had never once claimed experiencing any sort of premonitions or precognitive dreams, but her confession worried him. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing's happened or anything, but everything is going so…perfectly right now."

"And that's a problem?" He asked, arching a single eyebrow. "Are things too boring for you now?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes, mostly at herself. "No. I just…it feels like a calm before the storm, you know? I mean Klaus has been relatively polite to me. And I thought that he would have been more upset about the thought of losing my blood."

"Yes, he was at first," he admitted, remembering the fight that greeted him when Klaus discovered his decision to change Elena. "And then I told him about your idea to give him a supply of your blood."

"_Are you insane?" Elijah demanded, when he finally found his voice. "You want to what?"_

"_You know as well as I do that your brother isn't going to accept this," she returned, completely calm. "Maybe if I promise him blood, it will placate him enough."_

"_He'll just have to learn to live with disappointment then." He was not going to risk her for anything. "Do you understand what you're saying? What about your friends, what do they have to say?"_

"_This isn't their decision," she denied. No, she had not discussed her decision with any of them. _

"_You never said anything to them, did you?" He asked in a pointed tone. He watched her shake her head in response. "Elena, do you understand what you're offering?"_

"_If I don't do this, Klaus will never give us rest," she denied. "And you know that."_

"But he wasn't," she finished. "It just feels like everything is going too nicely. But I'm sure it's just nerves," she excused after a moment of hesitation.

Tucking away her concerns for another time, he focused on her doubts. "Everything will be fine, Elena." Like she tried to excuse, she was just experiencing a bout of nerves. "As for waiting a little longer, I don't mind. I'd wait forever for you," he vowed.

"I promise I won't make you wait that long," she denied quietly. "Just…a little bit longer. I…meant what I said, you asked for forever and you have me."

He captured her gaze with his. "The last thing I want is for you to regret anything that happens of me, directly or indirectly," he replied. "Now…about these plans for the weekend…"

"I'll be ready shortly," Elena replied. "I meant be finished, but then I started talking." Pushing him away, she stood from the bed. With her back towards him, she began to remove her clothes. "It will only take me a minute to change," she added, taking off her shirt.

Easily removing himself from her bed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his so he was flush against her back. Brushing her hair to one side of her neck, he began lavishing her neck with attention.

Whatever thoughts she'd previously had died and Elena felt herself melting in his arms. It wasn't even a conscious decision as she tilted her head to allow him more access. "You are very distracting when you do that," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he whispered between kisses against her milky skin.

"No…not…bad. But what about…plans?" She was

"Forget dinner. We can order in." He nuzzled his nose against her neck, breathing in her intoxicating scent. "It's come to my attention that I've been neglectful of you. I haven't worshipped your body in three days."

Spinning her around, he captured her lips, not giving her a chance to say a word. His arms wound around her back and he expertly unfastened her bra. Never breaking his kiss, his hands skimmed down her arms with the ghost of a touch, pushing the offending garment off her body. And when she stood naked from the waist up, his mouth began traveling down the length of her neck towards her collar bone.

"It's unfair that you're so good at that," Elena said, nearly panting. "I wish I could make you feel even half as good as you make me feel."

His hands skimmed down her sides before settling on the waistline of her jeans. He easily unlatched them before he kneeled and began to push them down her body. "Oh, you do. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Elena," he divulged, looking up at her. He'd had a thousand lovers in the past, but no experience could ever measure up to the ones he shared with Elena. She was his happiness, his lover, his mate, his love.

His eyes darkened and Elena felt a flutter in her stomach. She decided then that she could have melted into a puddle of goo.

Showering her stomach with kisses and nips of affection, he easily removed her jeans and helped her step out of them. Placing a kiss on the front of her panties, his hands snaked to the sides of them and he began to slowly remove them. He was immediately assaulted with the scent of her arousal and he groaned in satisfaction. "Already, you're so wet for me." He lifted first one foot and then the other to remove her panties. However, instead of placing her second foot back down, he placed it on his shoulder. "You might want to brace yourself," he warned before moving in to nuzzle her sex.

Her hands immediately moved in an attempt to steady herself, one against her dresser and one against the wall behind her.

There was no teasing to his actions. His mouth latched against her sex and he began to alternate between thrusting his tongue inside her as deep as he could go and teasing her bundle of nerves.

Gyrating against his mouth, Elena panted into the room. Her knees were beginning to weaken, and she was quickly discovering that standing was not going to be an option for long.

As if sensing her dilemma, one of his hands braced her waist while he used his other hand to pinch her clit. Her cries of pleasure escalated. "That's it, Elena," he encouraged. "Come for me, darling." He continued to play her with her nub as he thrust his tongue as deep inside her as he could. Her body began to tremble and he held her up as her orgasm tore through her. It was only when she stopped riding his face that his actions ceased. Picking her up, he carelessly placed her on the middle of her bed before shedding his clothes quickly.

Elena barely had a chance to collect herself before Elijah joined her on the bed. Her orgasm had made her increasingly wet, and he slid into her without any issues.

His eyes closed involuntarily as he buried himself inside her to the hilt. Every time he bedded her, it was like coming home. She was it for him, he'd known that after their first time. It had just taken him a bit of time to convince her of it.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Elena pulled him down against her. She captured his mouth, paying no mind to the fact that she could taste herself.

Never breaking the kiss, Elijah continued to ride her. He began to kiss her in tune to his thrusts. Their skin began slapping against one another, and the intensity behind his thrusts grew.

Elena tore her mouth from his and cried into the room. It was both too much and not enough and she was sobbing incomprehensively.

Pushing up, he adjusted their positions slightly. Spreading her legs and leaning back on his own, he continued to spear into her, her screams echoed into the room. He felt her walls flutter around him and as her second orgasm tore through her, his actions never wavered. It was only when she became completely lax that his thrusts stopped.

"I love the feel of you coming around my cock," he murmured huskily, as he leaned over and captured her mouth. "I can't remember anything feeling as good."

After two orgasms, she felt her sex pulse with desire. How was that possible? She thrust her hips up then.

"You ready for more?" Elijah asked.

She nodded her head once in agreement. However, instead of continuing her actions, she pushed him back from her. When she had him where she wanted, propped up against her headboard, she climbed over him and easily sank onto his erection.

She'd already orgasmed twice, so her main concern was Elijah and getting him to his. Her eyes never faltered from his as she continued to ride him.

"That's it, ride my cock," he grunted, thrusting up to meet her. "You like the feel of me filling you up?" Her arms wound around him and she nodded.

Already, she was a puddle of arousal, and it had only been minutes since their change of position. How was it that she was already climbing the precipice of another orgasm and he hadn't had one yet?

"You keep this up, I'm not going to last long," he purred.

"Me either," she panted.

"I'm going to make sure I'm as deep as I can possibly be inside you, and I'm going to cum," he whispered into her ear. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Good girl," he cooed. Fisting a hand in her hair, he forced her head to the side. Without any warning, he opened his mouth against her throat and bit down.

Not expecting the action, she gasped into the room. It wasn't the first time that he'd bitten her during sex, but it was the first time without warning. He began to take long pulls of blood. With his free arm wrapped around her slim waist, he was easily able to pull her down against him as he thrust upwards.

Felt the tingling of his orgasm creep up. Mindful not to mar her skin, he removed his mouth from her neck, and continued to thrust up into her. "That's it darling, I'm going to cum. Are you going to join me?" He wasn't long off, and if it was going to happen, it needed to happen shortly. Unfisting her hair, his hand slipped between their bodies and he pinched her clit.

A keening cry was torn from her throat as another orgasm assaulted her. Throwing her head back, her eyes closed. She could only vaguely make out the sounds of his grunts as he gave himself over to the pleasure.

When he was spent, he fell back against the bed, bringing her with him to rest on his chest. He ran a hand through her hair as he used the other one to hold her securely against him.

"That was intense," she panted into the room, the sound of his heart beat lulling her into security. "How do you do that?" Elena asked, tilted her head so she was looking at him.

"Do what?"

"You make sex better than it was the previous time," she confessed.

He smirked. "That, my dear heart, is all you. I can't seem to control myself around you." His eyes traveled over her facial features. "I didn't take too much did I?" He asked, referring to the blood he'd taken.

She shook her head. "No," she denied instantly. "At least I don't think so," she tacked on. Though she was suddenly feeling tired. She assumed it was just because he was that good of a lover.

"Even still, I'd feel better if I gave you some of my blood." He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit into it.

Elena wrinkled her nose. "Elijah, you know I don't like that," she denied.

"I know, but I need to make sure you're in tip-top shape," he argued.

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. "For what?"

"So I can make love to you as often as I want," Elijah purred. "You didn't that last round was it, did you?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Come on then, drink up."

She rolled her eyes at him, but grudgingly placed her mouth around the mark he'd made. As much as she loathed to admit it, the blood did make her feel slightly better…despite the fact that she had to force the liquid down her throat.

* * *

"This really isn't the way I intended spending the morning," Elijah muttered into Elena's shoulder. Instead of giving into his body's urges the previous night, he should have insisted that they leave town as he'd originally planned.

"I don't know," she hedged. "I thought last night was worth it, don't you?" She replied in an equally soft voice. She'd certainly enjoyed herself and her body ached in ways that only Elijah had ever been able to cause.

Her tone was suggestive and if he knew that if they were alone, he would have tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to the bedroom. "Behave," he chided, though it was obvious that he didn't mean it.

"But I thought you liked it when I was a bad girl?" She asked, tilting her head and nibbling on her bottom lip. She watched his eyes darken a shade and lifted a hand to run down his exposed chest.

"Oh…you have no idea just how much I love that," he replied, lifting Elena's finger and bringing it to his mouth. He placed a kiss on the top of it with the intent to pull the digit in his mouth, however, before he could continue on, they were reminded of the fact that they had a guest.

Kol cleared his throat dramatically loud and offered the pair a pointed stare. "You do realize that you aren't alone, don't you?" He asked.

"You act like you've never been consumed by someone's entire being," Elena waved away.

"And you couldn't possibly put on some clothes?" Kol asked, ignoring her question completely.

Elijah's attention turned to Elena. Her thin frame was swallowed by his dress shirt. "I don't know, I like the way you look in my shirt, Elena."

"It was convenient, Kol." It was the first thing she pulled on when they were so rudely interrupted by Elijah's brother. "Besides, it's comfortable."

"The two of you are nauseating, completely nauseating," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at them. "And by the way, you're burning the eggs, brother," he observed, his sensitive smell detecting the scent.

Elijah shrugged, not at all eager to pull away from Elena. "I can always make more eggs."

The sound of furious pounding on the front door pulled the couple to a stop. Elijah sighed wearily and turned to find Kol wearing an all too innocent face.

"Kol?" Elena asked. "Who-"

"It's Damon," Elijah replied, easily able to hear him from the front porch. And considering the fact that he was speaking, he wasn't by himself. Stefan, more than likely, was probably with him. "Kol, what did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Kol asked. Why was it that his brother automatically assumed he'd done something? So what if he had done something to provoke the younger vampire? It was the principle of the matter.

"It's you…" Elijah said, helping Elena off the counter. "If I have to fix your mess, don't I deserve to know the reason why?"

"Did you really think that he was going to let it die?" Kol burst out.

Elena frowned. "What die? What are you talking about?"

Kol ignored her, focusing on Elijah. "You should have known that your warning would fall on deaf ears. Did you really think he'd listen to you?"

Elijah's jaw worked. While he had a feeling that he knew where his brother's words were going, he needed the confirmation. "What did you do?"

"He was trying to figure out which one of us he and his brother were spawned from." And there was only one reason for that, to make sure they didn't kill the wrong sibling. "I killed the only remaining vampire that knew."

Elijah's eyes widened. "You killed Mary?" The revelation shocked him. He hadn't seen the red headed woman in years upon years, having heard that she lived as a hermit. However, once upon a time, she'd been relatively close with him and his siblings.

Kol shrugged. "I did what I had to do to protect us," he sniffed.

Elena frowned, wondering about the shock in Elijah's tone of voice. "Okay, who's Mary?"

"She was a sort of friend of ours," Elijah replied in a stilted manner.

The younger brother smirked. "Come on, brother. She was rather more than that at one time," he corrected. "She was a groupie."

Elena pursed her lips. "A groupie?" She repeated. Her thoughts instantly turned to a modernized version of a groupie, and all that it entailed, or what she assumed it entailed…which wasn't good. "Uh huh…" She trailed off, looking to Elijah for clarification. "You know when I hear that phrase I think…"

"Debauchery?" Kol supplied for her. "Sex, drugs and alcohol?" He pretended to consider his words. "Eh, sounds about right…"

Elijah glared at his brother with a vengeance. Of course Kol couldn't keep his mouth shut. He quickly turned to the owner of his heart. "Elena, it was a long time ago."

And there was her answer. She crossed her arms over her chest. She could only assume that life as a vampire skewed one's way of thinking. Her idea of 'a long time ago' was different from his. Then again, if he used the phrase, then maybe it was a long time ago, by a hundred years or so? She felt a niggling of jealousy tug at her heart, which she knew was completely stupid and irrational.

As if sensing where her thoughts had gone, Elijah stepped closer to her. "A very long time ago," he said, stretching the word 'very.'

"I'm going to go change," Elena said in an even tone. "Do me a favor, please don't kill him in my house," she added, nodding towards the front door.

"Elena…" Elijah said, attempting to catch her attention.

She replied with a negative shake of her head. "I think it would be better if I were wearing pants while he's here, don't you?" Without looking at the siblings, she turned and marched up the stairs with as much grace as she could muster.

"Oh, sure, put on pants for him," Kol grumbled. "But when I'm around, it is okay to suck on each other's fingers…"

"Firstly, you didn't have to watch. And secondly, you weren't invited. Maybe if you hadn't stopped by unannounced, we would have been better prepared to receive you," Elijah said.

Kol watched his brother fly towards the door. "What are you going to do?"

"Elena asked that I not kill him in the house," Elijah muttered. "She didn't say anything about the front yard," he tacked on darkly. "And when I finish with Damon Salvatore, then I'm going to start on you. I can't believe you just so casually mentioned Mary in such a way."

* * *

She didn't dare take a shower, worried that if she did Elijah and Kol would use the time to their advantage and harm one or both of the Salvatore brothers. Instead, she quickly changed pants and a shirt, brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth. All the while, she was able to hear faint yells from both the Mikaelson and Salvatore brothers.

"I warned you," Elijah hissed. "I warned you not to do anything, and you did it anyway."

Elena made her way to the bottom stair and stopped at the sight before her. Elijah had Damon pinned against the wall while Stefan did his best to get him released and Kol relaxed against the back of the couch…as if seeing his brother in such a state was normal. Once upon a time, she would have been the one to beg Elijah for Damon's life, but that time had come and gone. She honestly felt for the Salvatore brothers, fighting against something they had no chance of defeating.

"You're just worried that I will find a way to kill you," Damon responded with his usual cockiness, despite the hand wrapped around his throat.

"When have I ever been afraid or worried about you?" Elijah retorted with full sarcasm. "But you just can't leave well enough alone. I've given you multiple chances, but you never learn…"

"Just because I don't bow down to you and your siblings…" Damon denied. "You and your family have no right being here. You should have left and stayed gone."

"Maybe so," Elijah agreed darkly. He supposed that once upon a time, he had a life, a relatively normal existence. "However, Elena's here. And I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon. So until she asks me to leave, you're either going to have to get over this preoccupation you have with her, or look the other way."

Stefan looked from his brother towards Elijah and then his gaze fell on Elena. "Can't you say something?" He asked of her.

"And why would I do that?" She asked innocently. Her gaze settled on Damon for a sad moment. However, before she could dwell on it, she appeared to mentally shake herself from her thoughts. "If you guys will excuse me, I have no interest in playing your game." She refused to go against Elijah in front of anyone else, Damon and Stefan, specially.

She heard the arguing commence once again and shook her head in annoyance. Turning away from the four of them, she switched on the coffee pot, having already prepared it the previous night and waited for it to finish brewing. Elena reached for the pan of eggs and frowned at the contents, remembering Kol's mention of their being burned. Dumping them in the trash, she made her way to the sink and washed it before carrying it over to the stove to air dry it there.

When the coffee was finished, she turned to the cupboard near the sink and reached for a coffee mug. Spinning back around, she slipped on water that had fallen to the floor when she carried the pan back over to the stove. Her jerky movements caused her to drop the mug. And before she knew it, her body was falling into the counter, her neck hitting the edge of it and her world went dark.

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, she was keenly aware of the darkness in her room. It was far too pronounced, much more so then when her drapes were closed. Her gaze focused on the bumps in her ceiling and she momentarily wondered why she'd never noticed them before.

"Hi…"

Elijah's rich baritone pulled her from her thoughts and she looked at him. It didn't take her eyes long to focus on his serious expression and she was struck by the sight of him. She'd never seen him so…perfectly before. "Elijah…" The silence in the room was drowned by the sound of their heartbeats…heartbeats? Since when…no… "Something's wrong," she muttered.

Elijah grasped her hand and squeezed it. "Elena, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I…why?" Why was he asking her that?

"Humor me," he replied softly.

"I went downstairs and you were arguing with Damon, and I…left the room. I went to make coffee, but I slipped and…" It all came rushing back. She remembered falling against the counter, hitting her neck. Immediately, she lifted her free hand and grabbed for her neck. "Oh God…" she muttered, thinking on the few changes she'd noticed since awakening. She factored in the fact that they'd shared blood only hours earlier. "I transitioned."

"Not quite," he replied. "You need to consume blood to make it complete." He watched her eyes fill with tears as she began mourning for the loss of her life. "I am so sorry," he apologized. "If I wasn't so distracted with that stupid boy…" he shook his head. He would have been in the kitchen with her, and he would have been able to catch her before she fell.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so scared. The sound of the mug shattering on the kitchen floor had been enough to cease all arguments. However, it was the sound of complete silence that followed that had him running for the kitchen. He was assaulted by complete and utter horror when he discovered her lying on the floor, her neck placed in an unnatural way.

"So…I'm really a vampire…"

He found himself apologizing again. "I know you wanted to wait," he whispered. But she had no other choice, she needed to complete her transition. He wouldn't be able to live without her. He'd never been as relieved as he was when he realized that his blood was still in her system.

"What's going to happen now?"

"You need to feed. I have already gotten in touch with Bonnie, she's fashioning you a daylight ring as we speak."

"Elijah, I can't feed," she denied. The idea scared her just as much as disgusted her. "Can't you just give me your blood?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that," he denied softly. "If it did, I would have offered myself to you the moment you woke up. You still have to consume human blood to make it complete."

She heard the sound of voices filtering from the first story. "Who is here?"

"As soon as I found you I brought you up here. Kol called my sister, and she and Nicklaus arrived half an hour ago."

"Stefan and Damon?" What had they done when they'd discovered her?

"There was yelling and accusing. Kol finally managed to get them to leave, though it was under strong protest." Yes, the two had been concerned for Elena; but he was certain that their main concern was over the fact that his blood was in her system. It further solidified the growing chasm between them, the fact that she had the blood of an Original within her only further reminded them that she was lost to them.

"Rebekah would very much like to see you, if you are feeling up to accommodating her presence…"

She remembered the fact that until she had a certain spelled object attached to her body, she was a prisoner in her room. "I…guess…" she muttered uneasily. She didn't know if she was up to seeing anyone at the moment when all she wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry.

Elijah nodded and made his way to hallway and softly called for his sister to join them before he made his way back to Elena's side. "I know this wasn't the ideal situation, but we'll get through it. And I will be by your side the entire way."

She lifted a hand to his face, cupping his cheek in it. "I know." And she did. He would be a constant presence in her life, and it was the only thing that offered her comfort. "I love you."

"I love you back," he replied, grabbing her hand. Raising her wrist to his lips, he placed a kiss on the bottom of it.

"Only you, Elena," Rebekah sighed, joining the pair. "It's a poetical irony isn't it? After everything you've survived…witches, vampires, ghosts and sacrifices…and it's water than ends your life?" From the moment the supernatural entered her life, she had a vampire protecting her, whether it was Stefan, Damon or her brother. And none of them had been able to save her from her fate.

Elena winced, but she was unable to deny the truth to Rebekah's words. After dealing with the situations she had the last few years, and it was a small puddle of water that led to the end of her life?

"I know it wasn't what you had planned, but everything will work out," the blonde offered after a moment. "You aren't alone, and we'll help you through this." She turned her attention to Elijah. "I delivered the ring just as you asked and Caroline said that she would call as soon as it was ready." She claimed a seat on the edge of Elena's bed. "I hope you don't mind, but I called Matt. He's offered his…services."

Elena frowned. "Services?"

"Blood," Rebekah supplied flatly. So much for being subtle… "He's offering his blood to you so you can finish your transformation."

The brunette gasped. "I can't. I can't drink his blood!" She hadn't been thrilled with the idea of drinking a stranger's blood. She certainly couldn't drink his!

The female Original could only shake her head. "You're thinking like a human when you no longer are one."

Elena slipped into silence as Rebekah's words washed over her. "But what if I can't stop?"

"We'll be here to make sure that nothing happens to him," Rebekah assured her.

"Well, Elena? Are you ready to begin your forever?" Elijah asked quietly.

The End


End file.
